Un Souvenir
by Homogentisic Acid
Summary: AU Outlaw Queen fic. Linear one shots in the life of the Hood-Mills. Will feature ensemble cast as well. Mostly fluff because who doesn't like OQ fluff?
1. S'ghetti and Meatballs

I'm trying to figure out how to copy/paste my story, so forgive me if things are a little wonky. I've had this idea floating around in my head for a while and I was finally able to hammer out a chapter and have a basic plan for how I want things to go. I hope everyone enjoys the story!

* * *

It has been a most wonderful vacation, unforgettable, oh yes. Regina opened the front door to the mansion she shared with Robin and their two sons. It would be a little while before her friend Mary-Margaret would bring them home and as excited as she was to see them after the two week vacation she returned from, she wanted a few hours home with just Robin.

"Are you glad to be home?" Robin called to Regina as he walked up the steps with the luggage.

"I am, I kinda missed it! Can you take the bags upstairs? I wanna get started on the laundry so we're done when the boys get home," Regina responded.

"Of course, your majesty!" Robin bowed to Regina and headed upstairs.

Regina turned to follow Robin. They entered the bedroom and Robin unceremoniously tossed the luggage onto the bed. Regina smirked. Robin definitely knew how to take orders. He opened the bags and started pulling out their contents. His underwear, cargo pants, some jeans, her under garments, that matching bra and panty set she bought specifically for the trip but never got to wear. She walked towards Robin and took the set out of his hands.

"What a shame these went to waste." Regina said.

"Well, not necessarily," Robin smirked. "We have a few hours to ourselves still."

"Hmmm, do we now?" Regina grinned as Robin pulled her close.

"Mmhmmm, indeed." Robin responded as he leaned in for a kiss.

They stood close for a few moments, inhaling each other's scents. Rubbing noses, placing feather light kisses on lips, on necks, nipping ear lobes. They pulled back and Robin reached down to Regina's hands and pulled at the lingerie set, holding it up for her to see. She chuckled, dropped her head down towards Robin's chest, turned and sauntered towards the walk-in closet. A few moments later, Regina emerged, clad in the red lingerie set. Robin was still trying to unpack the suitcases when he heard Regina clear her voice.

"Ahem, is this more suitable to your liking?" she grinned as she did a little turn.

"Oh yes, indeed it is. Come over here, my love. I want to see it up close and personal." Robin said as he held out his hands towards Regina. She looked down at her appearance shyly before glancing back up at Robin, eyes darkened with a passion, hunger and eagerness she'd never felt before this moment, and she couldn't quite figure out why. She looked up at Robin as her feet somehow managed to bring her standing before his seated figure on the bed. He grasped her hands and pulled her close so her supple breasts were pressed against his face. He inhaled her scent, she must have splashed a bit of that cinnamon apple body spray Henry and Roland had given her for her homemade spa day surprise right before Robin whisked her away on their two week vacation.

"Mmmm, that scent...you, uh, you smell good enough to eat," Robin winked at Regina as she lightly slapped his shoulder and then leaned in for a kiss, a slight, ever so chaste kiss on the lips. Robin responded in kind, leaning back a bit onto the bed. Regina advanced on Robin until he was lying flat on his back and she was straddling his lap.

"Hey, no fair!" he exclaimed gazing up at Regina's grinning face.

"Who said anything about fair? You wanted to see me in this, that was our agreement, was it not?" She motioned with her hands up and down her body.

"Hmmpf, I suppose it was. Another request then."

"Oh?" Regina quirked up an eyebrow as she slowly began to grind her hips on Robin's lap.

"Yessss, cut that out!" Robin hissed against Regina's ministrations. He wanted this moment to last a little while, not quite ready for their romantic vacation to be over just yet. It took a lot of planning on his part to pull off their vacation and he was proud of himself; he wanted one last chance to celebrate his victory.

"Cut what out? I'm not doing anything, just sitting here, trying to get comfortable. Maybe if I move a little this way," she shifts her hips ever so slightly and Robin lets out a grunt.

"Mmmmppf, maybe, but now I'm not comfortable," Robin wiggled his eyebrows.

"Oh dear, we can't have that now, can we? Whatever shall we do?" Regina sighed with a pout that Robin found oh so incredibly irresistible.

"How about we stand?" Robin directed Regina to the middle of the floor as he walked over to the dresser where they kept the radio. He picked up his iPod and set it on the docking station. Regina turned towards Robin and watched him curiously. "What is he doing?" she thought to herself. She watched as he clicked on the iPod and began shuffling through his playlists. Soon a soft song could be heard drifting out of the speakers as Robin turned and walked back towards Regina. Regina quirked up an eyebrow as Robin reached for her hands and waist and began to sway back and forth.

"What?" Robin chuckled.

"You've got on too many clothes. Here I am in this nice ensemble for you and you don't seem to have dressed for the occasion," she responded as he pulled her away for a spin.

"Well, I suppose you're right, aren't you? Tell me, then, love, what should I wear?"

"Hmmm…well for starters, I don't think you should be wearing this nice button-down you have on. Let me help you take that off," Regina responded as she started in for the top button. Robin's hands joined hers and soon Regina was pulling the shirt off and tossing it onto the bed with the rest of the clothes Robin was unpacking.

"Is that better?" Robin asked as he pulled her back close to continue swaying to the music.

"Hmmm, I suppose, but it could be better," Regina sighed as Robin sent her into another spin.

Robin chuckled before responding, "What then, would make it better?"

"This," Regina replied, ducking her hands down to undo his belt buckle. Robin's pants fell to the floor and he stepped out and kicked them towards the bed.

"Ahh, I see," he chuckled again. "You don't want to be the only one scantily clad?"

"Mmm mmm," Regina shook her head no while biting down on her lip. Robin pulled her back close and held her tight, all the while swaying, swaying and swaying. They were the only ones in the world, and in this case, the only ones currently in the Hood-Mills mansion. Regina sighed contentedly as she danced with her husband. Robin reached up to grasp the clip Regina had in her hair so he could let her hair down. He liked it down. He ran his hand through her hair as she leaned into his touch. They stopped swaying. Regina gazed up at her husband, a question dancing across her features. Was he done with his romantic interlude? She started to remember why exactly the red lingerie set had gone to waste – she hadn't worn it for more than a minute before Robin had taken it off of her. It was their first evening at the seaside bed and breakfast Robin had rented out for their romantic getaway.

"What's going on in that little head of yours?" Robin sighed, gazing into Regina's eyes.

"Oh nothing in particular. Just thinking about the last time I wore this. If you recall, it wasn't on nearly as long as this time," she smiled.

"Ah, I do seem recall that. You looked really hot in it, I wanted to cool you off!"

"Oh, was that your goal?"

"Mmmhmm, I think I did a good job. You were all nice and sweaty from your fever breaking."

Regina paused, "I had a fever?"

"Yes, yes, you were hot, I already stated that."

"And so you did. What about now? Do I have a fever now?"

"Well, let me check," Robin stepped in close to his wife and just as he was about to lift his hand to her forehead,

*Bam*

The lovers sighed and dropped their heads. Their children were home, signaling the end of their romantic get-away.

"Mom? Dad?" Henry shouted from the bottom of the stairs.

"Mom?! Mommy where are you?!" Roland shouted after his brother.

"Oh, dear, I suppose we should throw something on over these, shouldn't we?" Regina said as she walked over to the closet and pulled out their robes. She could hear the children's footsteps pounding on the stairs and then she heard another voice calling after them.

"Henry! Roland! Quiet down, they might be asleep after their drive back. Come back down here." Mary-Margaret brought the kids back early. She actually hadn't expected Robin and Regina to be home so soon. She thought it might be nice if the kids set up a nice little family dinner to welcome the pair back home. She could already picture her friend rolling her eyes at not following the directions of bring Henry and Roland back at "Seven o'clock in the evening, no earlier, no later." Mary-Margaret turned towards the stairs to face the wrath of Regina. Or rather, the slightly flushed Regina and giggly Robin clad in their house robes. If Mary-Margaret could disappear, she would. Apparently the two love birds weren't quite done with their vacation.

"Robin! Regina! Sorry we're early. I was going to help the boys cook a welcome back dinner! Hope you don't mind," Mary-Margaret smiled, "We'll just head into the kitchen while you guys get dressed. Boys?"

Regina chuckled, "Oh, that's alright, we were actually unpacking our suitcases so we could do laundry, that's why we're in our robes. Hey boys, come give us a hug! We missed you so much!" Regina outstretched her arms so she could greet her children. She really had missed them.

"Did you and daddy have fun? Ms. Mary said you guys would have lots of fun playing at the beach, did you build castles? Did you play Robin Hood like we play with my Lego castle?"

"My, my Roland, aren't you full of questions? Why don't we go into the kitchen and see what you guys brought for dinner, shall we?" Regina coaxed her youngest son into the kitchen. Sure, Robin and Regina played Robin Hood, but it was a little different than the version they played with the children.

"Okay! We gots s'ghetti and meatballs just like in Lady, Lady. Hey what was the movie we watcheded Henry?" Roland looked towards his older brother.

"He means spaghetti and meatballs like in Lady and the Tramp. It's his new favorite movie, I hope you guys haven't seen it yet. It's the movie for tonight's "welcome back dinner and a movie", Henry sighed. He had to watch that movie every night for the past two weeks with Roland and he was tired of it. He was silently thinking of how that DVD might accidentally break before they sat down to watch. His thoughts were interrupted by Regina calling him into the kitchen so they could start dinner together.

"Actually love, why I don't take the boys upstairs with me and we'll get the laundry all sorted. I'm sure the boys have some stuff they need to wash as well."

"Leaving the women folk to do the cooking? What's next, barefoot and pregnant?" Regina chuckled at her own joke.

"I. I am offended! I would never suggest that!" Robin scoffed, pretending to be hurt by Regina's suggestion.

"Oh, don't be so dramatic goof! Go start on the laundry and Mary-Margaret and I shall have a little chat on telling time, especially since she teaches our five year old." Regina then turned to give Mary-Margaret a stern look. Mary-Margaret shrunk back a little on the stool she was sitting on.

"Regina, I am sooo sorry! I really had no idea!"

"Uh-huh, you had no idea that you should arrive here on Sunday evening at seven o'clock in the evening, no earlier, no later? I do believe those were my explicit instructions, were they not?"

"Maybe they were, maybe they weren't…it was so long ago! Hey, I think the water's boiling!"

"I see, yes, the water is boiling. You start on the noodles and I'll start cooking meatballs. Roland and his movie re-enactments. He certainly has an imagination, doesn't he?"

"Such an imagination! Too bad he doesn't expand it by _not_ watching the same movie over and over and over again."

"Oh yes, they tend to do that. I can't wait to get Neal started on his collection!"

"What? No, you don't have to do that, honest! We're uh, we're raising Neal in a tv free environment. No need to supply any movies of any sort."

Regina gasped, "Oh my god, that's why you brought them back early! You didn't want to watch Lady and the Tramp again!"

"Regina, what would make you think that? I'm not that desperate."

"Sure, sure. Where did he get that movie anyway? He was obsessed with Robin Hood when we left. He loves to re-enact that movie with Robin as Robin Hood and me as Maid Marian and his Lego castle that Emma got him for his birthday."

"Yeah…Henry may or may not have accidentally stepped on the DVD? So we had to buy Roland a new one and the store was all out of the Robin Hood DVD."

"You know that's the oddest thing, Henry accidentally steps on a lot of DVD's around here. We keep telling Roland to put away his things so that won't happen," Regina sighed as she set about heating the sauce on the stove.

*Crunch*

Both Regina and Mary-Margaret's heads snapped up at the sound of something crunching from the den. Regina stopped stirring the sauce, checked the meatballs and wiped her hands on the tea towel before heading towards the den with Mary-Margaret following close behind. There was Henry and there was Roland's newest DVD on the floor.

"Uh-oh, um, looks like Roland forgot to put his DVD away again."

"Oh Henry! Roland's going to be so upset! He really wanted tonight to be special for Robin and Regina!" exclaimed Mary-Margaret

"Hey, what was that noise?" Robin called from upstairs. Roland pitter pattered down the stairs into the den.

"Oh no! Not again! Henry! You promised! You promised you'd be more careful with my movies! How can we has s'ghetti so Mommy and Daddy will kiss like in the movie?!" Roland cried throwing himself on the floor to pick up the pieces from his now broken DVD.

"I am so sorry Ro, but you were told to put your things where they belong so stuff like this doesn't happen. I said I would try to look out for them, but I'm so tall, I can't always see them." Henry responded, looking only slightly sad that he stepped on his younger brother's DVD.

Regina smirked, she knew better. She gave Henry a disappointing glare before stooping down to pick up Roland.

"Now Roland, no need to cry! We can still have the spaghetti and meatballs! And we have other movies we can pick from. Why don't you go over to the DVD rack, hmm? Henry can help you pick out a movie while me and Mary-Margaret finish up with dinner. Henry, can I see you in the kitchen for a moment? Mary-Margaret will you finish helping Roland clean up while I have a little chit chat with my son?"

"Sure, no problem! Hey, Ro, let me help you pick these pieces up so you don't accidentally cut yourself, ok?"

"Mkay" Roland managed out in between sniffles.

Regina headed to the kitchen with Henry reluctantly following behind. Henry knew it was a risk, but he was willing to take it if that meant not watching Lady and the Tramp for the hundredth time. Once they were in the kitchen, Regina whirled around to face Henry. He knew that face. That face was the one of no video games, no movies, no hanging out with friends, no computer, no fun things for a week. It was worth it.

"Henry Daniel Mills. What were you thinking? More importantly, who do you take me for? A fool? Do you think I don't know you've been "accidentally" stepping on Roland's DVDs? He's a five year old little boy for Christ's sake!"

"But Mo-om! He left those DVDs in the middle of the floor where he always leaves his stuff!"

"And somehow you're the only one who steps on his stuff. Your Christmas present budget keeps getting smaller and smaller. We're going to have to replace those movies."

Henry's mouth dropped open. _His_ Christmas present budget? That was a new one.

"My Christmas present budget?"

"Yes, Henry, _your_ Christmas present budget. Money does not grow on trees. We have to replace those movies. It is not fair for Roland to take care of his things only to have you destroy them. You have all of your things, your computer, your cell phone, your comics, _your_ DVDs, Rol-"

"But Roland doesn't take care of his things! How many times have I heard you telling him to put his things away?"

"Do not interrupt me, young man. We both know what you are doing. You're a repeat offender. A different punishment is needed. I thought we were raising a responsible young man."

"Yeah, you and Robin are doing a great job raising Roland to not leave his things out and then blaming me for accidentally stepping on them." Henry sighed. That got Regina's attention.

"Henry, are you feeling a little jealous? I thought you were happy Robin and I got married. What's with all this?"

"I'm not jealous. I am glad you two got married, you're so happy with Robin. It's just that Roland is so needy. He gets you and Robin to dote on him. I don't mind sharing my mom, but sometimes I miss hanging out with you. We used to watch cool movies! Now all we do is watch the same movie over and over and over again. I can only take so much!"

"Oh my dear sweet Henry. I used to watch the same movie over and over and over with you when you were that age." Regina reached for her twelve year old and gave him a quick squeeze before pulling back to look at him. "How about this, when we have movie night you and Roland can each pick a movie. We'll watch Roland's movie first and then put him to bed at his normal bed time and then we'll watch your movie? How does that sound?"

Henry smiled, "That sounds like a great idea! Can we start tonight? I mean, we'll have to watch my pick since Roland's pick is broken."

Regina lightly smacked Henry's back. "No, you boys will both have to agree on a movie or we won't watch one at all. It's a school night and our first night together as a family in a couple of weeks. Now go finish helping Roland."

"Okay," Henry let out a defeated sigh and headed back towards the mansion.

"Everything okay? Are the noodles done?" Mary-Margaret returned to the kitchen carrying the remnants of Roland's DVD.

"Yeah, everything's alright. I thought Henry was adjusting to our new blended family, but my hopes are slipping away each day. He seems to be a little starved for my attention. Which I guess I've been so worried about Roland adjusting to a new mom I didn't stop to consider how Henry might feel having to share me." Regina explained as she cut off the stove top and motioned for Mary-Margaret to drain the noodles.

"Kids are resilient but sometimes we need our mothers now and again. I know I miss mine."

"Oh, Mare. Come here, let me give you a hug. Thank you so much for watching the boys. With adjusting to this new family dynamic Robin and I really haven't much time to ourselves."

"Don't mention it. I loved having them over! I think they really like having Neal around. They took real good care of him. They were like live-in babysitters!"

"Oh, that's good to know! Maybe I'll send them over more often! And maybe, just maybe you can send Neal over here once in a while." Regina smiled. "Now, let's get all this stuff together and out to the dining table, I'm famished!"

* * *

As always, reviews and constructive criticism are always welcome!


	2. Scawy Monsters

"Mommy!" Roland called as he entered the house. Regina sighed to herself. She was hoping to have a few peaceful minutes before Roland came home from school. She left work early because a migraine had been plaguing her since she woke up to ready the boys for school that morning. She had even vomited two times at work. Regina's secretary was nice enough to get her some Excedrin but it didn't quite touch the headache and thusly offered to drive Regina home. Once home, the secretary sat Regina down on the couch and made her some soup before heading back to the office to clear Regina's calendar for the rest of the day. Regina still sat on the couch with the lights dimmed and a blanket draped around her body.

"Mommy!" Roland called again. Welp, Regina thought to herself, mommy mode: on.

"In here, sweetheart!" She called out to Roland.

"There you are mommy! Why are the lights out? Did the power go out again? Or are we playing scawy monsters? Is Daddy gonna save us like last time?" the little boy asked as he clambered onto the couch to sit next to his mother. Regina leaned her head against Roland's while he cuddled against her. An idea popped into her head.

"Why yes, Roland. We are playing scary monsters! I think I heard them in the kitchen! I think a safer place for us to be would be in mommy's room, whadya think? Does that sound like a good idea?" She hoped the boy would be enticed with the idea of playing scary monsters. Although, last time they played Roland ended up sleeping with her and Robin for two weeks straight. It was worth the risk for the reprieve she needed from her migraine. She picked up the little boy and swung him onto her hip and headed up the stairs.

"Mommy wait! What about afternoon snack? Are the scawy monsters going to eat it all?" Roland asked in a hushed whisper. Damn. She forgot all about making Roland's afternoon snack while she waited for the headache to abate. Hmmm, what to do, what to do.

"Why don't you head upstairs and I'll see if I can sneak safely past the scary monsters and get us something to eat? We could be hiding out for a while, huh?" Roland shook his head eagerly. She placed him onto the floor so he could head upstairs. Regina headed towards the kitchen trying to think of what snacks they could eat without making too much of a mess for Regina to clean up later. She pulled open the refrigerator. She really needed to go grocery shopping. There were some pre-portioned apple slices and some grapes. Oh, juice boxes! And grape jelly. Roland loved peanut butter and grape jelly sandwiches. Regina pulled the items from the refrigerator and placed them on the counter so she could make the sandwiches. She grabbed the picnic basket from on top of the refrigerator and placed the fruit, juice and sandwiches inside. Another thought occurred, pickles. Pickles would go excellent with peanut butter. Perhaps Roland would like chips, sour cream and cheddar flavored chips. She shut the light out and padded upstairs so Roland would think she was being sneaky to escape the monsters in the kitchen.

She reached her bedroom and found Roland sprawled across the bed. He was actually being a good little boy by working on his homework. Regina smiled at the image and for a quick moment forgot all about her migraine.

"Mommy! Were you able to get us survival food?" Roland inquired as he tossed his crayons aside.

"Survival food?" Regina parroted as she padded across the room and sat on the floor so she could pull out the contents of her picnic basket.

"Yeah, you know! So we don't starve while we wait for Daddy to come and fight off the monsters!" Roland exclaimed in a hushed whisper.

"Oh! Why yes, yes I managed to secure us some fruit, sandwiches and juice!"

"Did the monsters see you?"

"They almost did! But I was super quiet! We'll still have to be quiet up here. The monsters have excellent hearing. Let's eat up okay?" Regina said as she reached straight for the sandwich pickles and placed them onto her sandwich. It was the most beautiful sandwich she had ever seen. Or maybe it was the hunger pains, she did not finish the soup her secretary made. Regina took two bites of her sandwich and stopped.

"Momma, are you okay? Don't you like your sammich? Better eat up! We might have to help Daddy fight off the monsters!" Roland said leaning forward, scolding his mother.

"It's okay sweetheart, mommy's quite full now. She's gonna lay down on the bed. Do you think you can keep watch over mommy? Protect her from the scary monsters until Daddy can come rescue us?" Her migraine was now making her nauseated. Roland shook his head quickly up and down.

"Yes Mommy! I will pwotect you from the scawy monsters! But maybe you should hide over there," Roland pointed to the side of the bed away from the door.

"I suppose you're right. Let me get out the sleeping bag and I'll go over here so the monsters won't see me, ok? You can finish up your homework and color right in front of me, ok?"

"Ok!"

Robin entered his house. His eerily silent house. Whereas he expected the television to be playing Finding Nemo for the hundredth time and pots and pans clinking from the kitchen, he heard nothing, nothing at all. He checked is phone. There weren't any messages from Regina

saying that she'd been held up somewhere. Strange, he thought, this wasn't like his wife at all. A slight panic began to rise in his chest. He double checked the kitchen to be sure no one was there. The lights were out but remnants of sandwich making were on the counter. It wasn't like Regina to not put the dishes in the sink or dish washer after making Roland an afternoon snack. Now he was a little more panicky. He decided to check upstairs. First, he stopped by Roland's room and saw no signs of the boy. Then he checked Henry's room. Sometimes Roland liked to read Henry's comic books when Henry wasn't there. Nope, no sign of his son there either. Lastly he decided to check his and Regina's bedroom.

"Shhhh! We're hiding from the scawy monsters!" Roland loudly whispered when Robin pushed the door open.

Robin chuckled, "What? What are you talking about?"

"There are scawy monsters in the kitchen! Mommy and I are hiding here waiting for you to come and save us! Did you get the monsters? They're in the kitchen! Mommy was brave and sneakeded past the monsters to get my afternoon snack. But she didn't finish hers," Roland frowned as he finished recounting to his father the afternoon's events.

"Oh, I see, yes yes, I defeated the scawy monsters and I came to let you and mommy know that it was safe to come out. Where exactly is your mother?" Robin asked his young son. Immediately glancing around he didn't see her anywhere he might have expected to.

"Shhh, she's sleeping over there." Robin looked towards the bed.

"Over there where Roland?" Roland pointed again and walked over to where Regina had fallen asleep in the sleeping bag beside the bed. Robin let out a soft chuckle.

"Oh my Regina. Did you tucker Regina out my boy?"

"Tucked out? No, I didn't tucked Regina. We can't tucked in without reading a stowy!" Robin chuckled again at his son failing to grasp the meaning of "tuckered out". He placed a hand on Regina's cheek. She didn't move. Hmm, Robin thought to himself, Regina must have been really tired to have fallen asleep on the floor while watching Roland. He stooped to pick her up and placed her on the bed.

"Are we tucking her in now daddy? What about a stowy? Are we gonna read her a stowy? She won't be able to hear it, Daddy, she's already asleep!" Now Robin was beginning to understand how Regina might be just a tad exhausted if Roland talked her ear off all afternoon.

"Not now my boy. Yes, Regina is already asleep. Why don't we head downstairs and see what we can find for dinner?" Roland leapt up into his father's arms and they headed downstairs.

Regina woke with a start. She felt a little disoriented. Where was she? When did she get into bed? And where was Roland? She jolted out of bed.

"Roland?! Roland where are you?"

"Uh oh, sounds like Mommy's awake! Why don't you go get her and let her know you're okay, huh? I'll finish up down here. Henry, can you go ahead and set the table, dinner's almost ready and your mom just woke up."

After Robin tucked Regina into bed, he took Roland downstairs to raid the kitchen, except there wasn't much in the kitchen to raid. So he made a list of food they needed seeing as Regina had not gone to the store recently. Just as Robin was finishing the list, Henry walked in looking for his afternoon snack. Roland told Henry he could get a sandwich out of the survival food Regina had packed while they were waiting to be saved from the scawy monsters but Robin cautioned Henry that Regina was asleep and probably would not appreciate being woken up. Henry agreed. Robin offered they all go to the store and make dinner tonight so Regina could get the rest she needed.

"Here I am mommy! Daddy saved us from the monsters! You felled asleep. Daddy tucked you in, but we couldn't read you a story. Can we read a stowy when I get tucked in?" Roland finished off as she picked up the young boy and held him close.

"Of course we can read a story. You scared me, my little guy! I had no idea where you were! Where is daddy? Is he downstairs?"

"Uh huh, he's making dinner! He said we could make dinner so you could get rested! I hope you like what we cooked!" Roland hopped out of Regina's arms once they reached the dining room.

"I'm sure I will. Hey honey, thanks for letting me sleep. I've had a migraine all day. Thanks for saving us from the scary monsters," Regina chuckled as she placed a kiss on Robin's cheek while he placed the final dish on the table.

"No problem dear. We even got a little grocery shopping done. I hope I did alright," Robin replied as they all sat down to the table. Regina slapped a hand to her forehead.

"Oh, I completely forgot I was going to go shopping after work today, I'm so terrible."

"Don't worry about it! You don't have to take care of everything now, we're partners!"

"Yeah mom, we're a family, we help each other out! And it was fun not having you there to say no to dessert!" chimed in Henry with a chuckle.

"Oh, you got dessert, did you? That's the last time I let you guys go shopping without me! Now, what do we have here?" she offered a smile to show she was just kidding around.

"Well, my culinary skills aren't the greatest, but Roland thought beanie weenies would be good. I also steamed some fresh veggies in case the beanie weenies weren't your style." Robin grinned as he lifted the lid off the casserole dish. The grin Regina had plastered to her face suddenly faltered. She had the distinct taste of bile rising up her esophagus. The queasiness she felt from earlier was still there even after her nap and migraine were long gone.

"What's the matter dear? You don't like it? I saw there was some soup on the stove, would you like me to reheat that instead?" Robin put a lot of work into his beanie weenies and he did not think they turned out all that bad.

"No dear, it looks wonderful. Perhaps my headache is still lingering." She said as she spooned some of the beanie weenies onto her plate. She lifted the spoon to her mouth and took a bite. There, that wasn't so bad, she thought to herself. She took another bite. Her stomach was starting not to agree with her. She decided to try some steamed veggies instead.

"How was school Henry, did you have a good day?" Regina questioned, hoping to distract herself from the queasiness that did not seem to be doing any better even though she was eating.

"Oh, it was great! Aside from having homework, ugh" Henry rolled his eyes. Regina's vision blurred ever so slightly and then she realized her beanie weenies and veggies were not going to stay down. She stood up abruptly and barely made it to the downstairs guest bathroom.

"What's wrong with mommy? Did she not like our beanie weenies? I'm sorry mommy," Roland began to cry and chase after his mom.

"Uh, hold it right there mister. Why don't you stay here with Henry and I'll go check on mommy, okay? Henry can you take Roland into the den and put on a movie?"

"A movie? On a school night, before bed? Sure! Let's go Ro!" Henry scampered towards the living room while Robin headed towards the bathroom. On second thought, he thought to himself, perhaps a cool cloth and a glass of water would be better. Robin doubled back to the kitchen to grab a glass of cool water and also put the kettle on to make peppermint tea to soothe Regina's stomach.

By the time Robin made it to the guest bathroom Regina was sitting up against the wall with her head hanging between her legs.

"Here you are dear, cool water."

"Oh, thanks. I'm so sorry. How is Roland? I hope I didn't upset him too much."

"It's alright dear, you're really not feeling well, are you?" He sat down on the edge of the tub. Regina shook her head no.

"It would seem not. I really thought I was better. My headache was gone! But then those beanie weenies. Might I suggest the cookbook next time? Here, help me up." Regina reached out and took Robin's hands to pull herself up. She took the glass Robin offered and swished the water around in her mouth before spitting it out to rid her mouth of the acrid taste of vomit. She then exited the bathroom to go find Roland.

"Hey, I heated some water to make you some peppermint tea. My grandmother's cure-all for an upset tummy. Go have a seat with Roland and Henry and I'll bring it to you." Robin kissed Regina on the forehead as she headed towards the den. She found her boys sitting on the sofa, quietly, for a change.

"Hey boys, what are you watching?"

"Mommy!" Roland hopped of the sofa to allow Regina to sit down before climbing onto her lap. "I'm sorry you didn't like our dinner," he said with a frown.

"Oh darling! Don't be sad! Mommy just has an upset tummy. Your dinner tasted great!"

"An upset tummy? Why is it upset? Did we do something to make it angry? Should we apolo, apolo, what's the word Henry?"

"Apologize. No, you don't apologize to upset tummies. Sometimes they just get angry even though you didn't do anything, like that kid who likes to push you around at school sometimes." Henry responded before turning his attention back to the movie. He was going to get as much movie time on a school night as he could get away with before his mom noticed.

"A kid pushes you around at school?" Regina quizzed Roland.

"Sometimes, but Henry says that kid is just upset he's not as awesome as me and I shouldn't worry about it!"

"He did, did he? Well just because he's not as awesome as you doesn't mean he can push you around like that sweetheart. Next time he does it you need to tell an adult, okay? You should tell your teacher, hmm? Now, what movie are you watching?"

"Ummm, I think it's called The Lion King, Henry helped me pick it!"

"Henry, this doesn't look like The Lion King."

"Yes it is mommy! Henry showed me on the box where it says The Lion King, see?" Roland held up the DVD box that most definitely did not say "The Lion King"

"Henry." Sensing his wife was about to fuss at Henry, Robin shoved her tea into her hands.

"Hey boys, I think it's time to turn the movie off and head to bed, okay?" The boys started to protest but Robin held up his hands. Henry turned the movie off and headed towards the stairs with Roland trailing close behind. Robin sat down next to Regina and she leaned against him.

"I don't know why parents choose to have more than one child. I can't take this," she sighed.

"Oh, you're just not feeling well today. Look, we don't have to get Roland ready for bed, Henry's gonna do it for us! You're gonna finish off your tea and then head upstairs. I'll finish up in the kitchen and then I'll come tuck you in, complete with a story. Whadya say, hmm?"

"That sounds most wonderful. But if you don't mind, I'm just gonna head up now with my tea and if you feel like bringing up another mug that you want to sip on and then share with your wife, well who am I to stop you?" she grinned before standing uneasily to head to bed.


	3. Caramel Apples

Here's the third chapter! I hope you guys are enjoying the story.

* * *

It was a mild autumn day. Robin and the boys were out in the back yard raking up leaves. Well, Robin was raking the leaves. Any pile that Henry and Roland made was promptly destroyed when they decided to jump into it. Regina decided to take a break from watching her men and make lunch. She opened the refrigerator and pulled out fixings for turkey and cheese sandwiches. She then went to the cupboard and pulled out a can of tomato soup. She turned on the stove and dumped the tomato soup into a sauce pan to warm. While the soup was heating she buttered the bread and stacked heaps of turkey and slices of cheese to make toasted sandwiches. For her sandwich however, she decided she wanted pimento cheese and sliced green olives. It was going to be the best sandwich ever, she decided. With the soup heating on the stove and one last turn of her sandwich, Regina opened the cabinet doors again. Even though it wasn't too chilly outside, she thought warm apple cider might go well with the soup and sandwiches.

"Hey wifey, whatcha up to? It smells wonderful in here!" Robin greeted her with a kiss. In followed Roland and Henry each who pulled up chairs to the kitchen table.

"Hey honey. Boys, please take off your coats, and hang them in the hall closet before sitting down. I'll set everything out, ok?"

"Mkay," mumbled the boys in unison.

It had taken a few months of adjustment, but the boys seemed to getting along a lot better than when Robin and Regina first married. Sure Henry and Roland had gotten along surprisingly well while Robin and Regina were dating. In fact, Robin and Regina took it as a good sign to continue dating once they introduced their children to each other. Never had Regina been so nervous when Robin first introduced her to Roland. She wanted to make a good impression on the young boy seeing as she was stealing Robin all for herself. Well, that's what Robin told her Roland said to him one day. Regina told Robin they couldn't have the poor boy thinking she was stealing his father and that perhaps if they met she could explain herself. Robin was a bit taken aback with her forwardness but he consented that if they were truly serious, which he thought they were, he would love it if she could meet his little boy.

Robin's attention then went to when he would get to meet Regina's son. She blinked in surprise. Well of course she should introduce Robin to Henry, her little over protective knight. Robin and Regina always met wherever they were going for their date, or they would sometimes meet at the other's respective workplace. Robin had nudged her when she seemed to be taking too long to respond, he was a little worried. That was fine, she told him, but it might be easier if they worked on Roland getting used to the idea of them being together first, she suggested. Robin seemed hesitant, but then again this was the first time since he started back dating after his wife Lydia's passing that he had dated long enough to introduce the lad to his newest lady friend.

They decided on a neutral meeting place. The school's Fall Festival was coming up and the entire town was coming out to celebrate. Regina thought it might be a nice stress-free place for Roland and she could also bring Henry without having to worry about keeping an eye on him. Regina told Robin how Henry had volunteered them to make her famous apple pies which caused Robin to almost choke on his beer from laughing at the innuendo. Regina simply rolled her eyes.

"Do boys ever really grow up?" she quipped before taking a sip of her apple cider.

"Mmm, of course they do! Do women know how to have fun?" Robin retorted.

Two weeks later found Regina and Henry heading across the school campus carrying her famous apple pies.

"Hey, can I help you carry those?" Robin approached the pair. For a brief moment Regina looked like a deer caught in headlights. He'd forgotten that today was for Roland and that Henry was still off limits.

"Oh, hey Mr. Hood! I didn't know you'd be here. Hey mom, this is the assistant soccer coach. He's cool" Regina's eyes softened. She didn't know Robin assisted with soccer. She was learning more and more about this man. The more and more she learned, the more she liked.

"Hello Mr. Hood, a pleasure to meet you. I suppose you could help me carry the pies over to the dessert table." Regina said as she allowed Robin to take a couple pies off the top of her stack. Robin eyed her with that dopey grin he always seemed to reserve just for her. After they dropped the pies off Henry headed over to the bouncy house as he tossed over his shoulder something about the two of them talking about Henry's future in soccer. Regina rolled her eyes.

"So, I see you already know my son then. Well, where's Roland?"

"I had no clue he was your son! You don't make it to the games?"

"Sure I do, but I think you only pay attention to women when they're dressed in plunging necklines waiting for a tow truck," she scoffed, referencing to how they met.

"So you don't wear plunging necklines to the soccer games?" She shook her head and she took Robin's lead to start walking over to a bench.

"Roland! Roland my boy! I have someone I'd like you to meet!"

"Who is it daddy?" screamed the little boy from the playground. He was swinging on the swings, kicking his little legs and not really getting any higher.

"A thief!" he called back to his son. Regina cocked her head.

"A thief?!" she responded.

"A thief daddy? Like we are?" Regina did a double take and mouthed Roland's response seeing the boy trot over to where they were sitting.

"Ha ha, he uh, he means like when we play Robin Hood. It's currently on repeat on our DVD player." Robin responded while Roland climbed into his father's lap and stared curiously at Regina.

"Oh, I see. Hello, you must be Roland. Your father has told me all about you!" Regina stuck out her hand towards Roland for him to shake. The little boy continued to stare at Regina.

"It's okay Roland, she won't bite, I promise." Robin tried to coax Roland to shake Regina's proffered hand.

"Is she the lady who stealeded you away?" Roland questioned looking up at his father.

"Yes, my boy. She has stolen me away, she has stolen my heart." Regina's eyes went wide again. Was this man confessing his love for her in front of his son?

"She stoleded your heart?! Hey lady, you need to give that back! Daddy will die without that! I don't want him to die and leave me like my mommy left me," the little boy began to cry. Oh no, what had Robin done?

"Hey, hey little man. It's just a figure of speech! My heart is still in my chest. Here, let me see your hand," Robin pulled Roland's tiny little hand against his chest so he could feel it beating. "See? It still beats, it beats for you, mommy in Heaven and now, for Regina." Regina wasn't quite sure what to make of this scene. She wasn't sure how she felt about this relationship and here Robin was practically professing his love for her. How could Robin be so sure? So forward. So downright infuriating. She wanted to get up and leave, she was feeling a little panicky.

"Regina? Are you okay?" Robin called out to her, looking a little worried. He suddenly realized what he was doing. "Oh my, oh my god, I am so sorry Regina. I didn't mean to, my this must be a bit overwhelming for you, isn't it?"

"Yeah, just a little," Regina nervously chuckled. She pulled her hair behind her ears.

"Hey mom! There you are! I've been looking for you! Are you and Mr. Hood having a nice chat about my soccer career?" Henry called as he bounded towards the adults.

"Oh, hey Henry. Sorry to tell you but Mr. Hood agrees with me, you should stick with Math!" Regina nervously supplied. She was glad Henry chose that moment to interrupt the awkwardness that was Robin confessing his love for Regina.

"Mo-om!" Henry whined. "Fine. Mary-Margaret needs you to come help out at the apple table, she said something about you being the Evil Queen who knows her way around apples or other, if we hurry we can get an apple and decorate them!" Henry supplied pulling his mom to her feet. Just then Regina got an idea.

"Hey Henry, have you met Roland, Mr. Hood's son?" She gestured to the small boy sitting on Robin's lap.

"Oh, hey Roland. I think I've seen you around soccer practice sometimes, yeah?"

"Hee hee, yea! I help pick up the balls! It's fun!"

"Henry, why don't you and Roland get a head start towards the apple table, hmm? Tell Mary-Margaret the Evil Queen shall make her grand entrance in a few moments." Regina sighed before turning towards Robin. He could feel her eyes on him. As much trepidation he was feeling right now, he wasn't sad at all about his sudden confession. It just felt right.

"So, I'm the thief who has not only stolen time away from your child, but I have also stolen your heart?"

"Yes, yes, you have stolen my heart. Although, had you asked, I most certainly would've given it to you," he said, reaching for her hand.

"Well then, Mr. Hood would you like something in exchange?" Where was thing coming from? She didn't know. It had certainly been a long time since she's felt this way about anyone since Daniel, and she still wasn't quite sure what it was exactly she was feeling.

"Something in exchange, milady? I'm not sure what you're getting at here."

"Oh, don't you know? I may be a thief of hearts, but I am also a giver." Regina grasped Robin's hand and guided it towards her chest.

"Milady, I don't think it's appropriate to have me grope you in public, here, at a children's event," Robin laughed nervously.

"Shhh, I'm trying to be romantic here," she hushed Robin as she splayed his hand where her heart lay beating rapidly in apprehension. "I am trusting you with my heart. I have not given such trust to anyone in a long time, Mr. Hood. You have no idea the gravity of this situation," she supplied. Robin turned serious, for he definitely did have an idea of the gravity of the situation. He hadn't been kidding when he told his son that Regina had stolen his heart.

"My dear, I will cherish this for as long as God allows us to," he leaned in, about to capture her lips in a simple kiss when Henry's voice rang out.

"Mom! You guys are taking too long! All the candied sauce is gone! Mary-Margaret says all she has left is caramel!" Henry shouted from a distance. The pair chuckled and stood.

"Well, let's get going then, Mr. Hood. We'll finish this up later?" Regina said as she pulled Robin into a standing position and took his hand in hers.

"See Roland? I told you your dad would be a perfect match for my mom!" Henry whispered conspiratorially to the little boy.

"You did Henry! I can't wait for you to be my brother! We'll go on all sorts of advent, advent, what's that word again?" Roland whined.

"Adventures, Roland, adventures." The two boys walked hand in hand towards the picnic table area that housed the apple decorating supplies. Sure enough all the candied sauce was gone and so the four of them made caramel apples. It was a good day.

"Regina, hey, what are you thinking about?" Robin said calling his wife out of her reverie.

"Oh, nothing. Just thinking about the first time you said you loved me. Do you remember?"

"Oh, yes, you stole my heart." Robin supplied as he pulled her into a hug.

"Do you remember anything else about that day?" She inhaled the outdoor scent that clung to his shirt.

"Um, you trusted me with your heart too?" Regina huffed in a slight annoyance.

"Anything else?"

"Um, Regina dear, you're gonna have to help me out here."

"We made caramel apples. And I've suddenly lost my appetite for this sandwich I made."

"You have, have you?" Robin teased as he lifted her sandwich to take a bite, and chewed awkwardly before spitting out the contents. "Regina, what is this? This is disgusting."

"That? Hmmm, I don't know, pimento cheese and green olives? I know it sounds strange, but that's what I felt like eating," she said shrugging her shoulders.

"I don't see how; out of all your culinary concoctions this one should probably go in the dud pile." Regina scoffed at Robin's comment. "Come on now, you know I'm right. You don't even want it now."

"I know I don't want it now, I want something else."

"Good, what is it that you want?"

"Remember the Fall Festival?"

"You keep bringing that up."

"Yes, we made caramel apples that day. That day I stole your heart and gave you mine. I feel like caramel apples."

"Well then, my dear, if caramel apples is what you want, then caramel apples you shall have. I'll go to the store right now. Is there anything else you want?" Robin asked, grabbing his coat.

"Hmmm, yes, I think…I think chopped walnuts and banana peppers would be great toppers!"

"Walnuts I get, banana peppers? Are you feeling alright?"

"What? Of course! I meant the banana peppers…would be a great topper for salad. I am going to make a salad for dinner and I think banana peppers would go great on top of it," nice save Regina thought to herself. She _had_ been coming up with some strange concoctions lately. Strange yes, delicious, most definitely yes. Robin left with a puzzled expression and all Regina could think about was banana peppers and walnuts on top of caramel apples.

* * *

Read and Review!


	4. Rainbows on Rainy Days

Just for you guys!

* * *

Drip. Drip. Drip, drop. Regina slowly opened her eyes. It was raining. She rolled over onto her side only to discover she and her husband had company. Roland. She wondered when exactly he climbed into bed with them. Actually, when _had_ she gone to bed, she wondered. Last thing she recalled was sitting on the couch with Robin after they sent the boys to bed. It was a little thing they liked to do at the end of the day. They liked to sit on the couch without the boys and reconnect with each other. She seemed to recall Robin telling her about the latest soccer drills he and the head coach had come up with for practice on Saturday. She was distracted, pulling at the fabric on the blanket Robin draped over her lap when she complained it was too cold to sit in the den for their nightly chat routine. Regina huffed out. She had to pee and there was a little boy who was cuddled against her side. She really hated to move, to disturb his peaceful slumber. What the hell, she thought, the alarm would be going off in 10 minutes anyway. She ever so slightly shifted the boy onto a pillow hoping he would cuddle with that instead. The room felt uncharacteristically warm. Regina swung her legs from under the covers and reached for her house robe that had fallen on the floor when Roland crawled into bed. She tucked the covers up around Robin and Roland's sleeping figures and gazed at them for a moment before her bladder decided it was in serious need of emptying. She rushed to the bathroom and relieved herself. Might as well get a head start on getting ready she thought as she grabbed her toothbrush. Brush, brush, up and down, in circles, spit. She grabbed the mouthwash for one final rinse. The alarm sounded and she rushed to shut it off.

"Good morning," she cooed softly to Roland while she stroked his head. "Did you sleep well, my little prince?"

"Mmm hmmm. But I needs more beautiful rest, mommy," Roland whined. He was never easy to wake up, especially when he slept in mommy and daddy's bed.

"I know dear, but you have to get up and get ready for school," she reminded him hoping he would get up of his own accord. He snuggled close to Robin. "Roland dear, come on, get up. If you get up and start getting ready for school, mommy will make you apple pancakes for breakfast."

Roland let out a shy grin with his eyes still closed, "You will?"

"Yes dear, now hurry up and go brush your teeth and pick out something to wear, ok?"

"Okay mommy!" Roland pulled back the covers and scurried over to his room across the hall.

"Mmmmm, if I get up can I have apple pancakes too?" Robin questioned as he rolled over, glancing at his wife.

"Hmmmm. No, the apple pancakes were to coax a little boy out of bed. You, however, are a grown man who does not need coaxing out of bed. You should just do it because you enjoy going to work, earning money, supporting your family and keeping your wife happy. Remember that bit of advice David gave at our wedding?" Regina challenged Robin who was now sitting up in bed trying to decipher from his wife's blank stare if she was teasing or not. He was never really good at that and often thought she'd make a great actress should she ever decide to quit her job as an editor.

"Uh, he gave me lots of tid bits over the course of our dating, send the woman flowers at work to show off to her coworkers, make her a home-cooked meal…"

"Uh-huh, anything else? Anything along the lines of happy wife, happy life?" she questioned as she headed towards the door to their bedroom.

"Oh yeah! Maybe I do recall him saying that during the uh, best man speech?" he winked at Regina and pulled her into a hug.

"Yes, happy wife, happy life. Making you pancakes while trying to get the kids ready for school does not make me happy, it makes me stressed."

"Oh? Well what I can do to help de-stress you? Maybe a foot rub?" he queried as he pulled her down onto the bed with him.

"A foot rub would be nice," she hummed as he reached for her leg.

"Why do I sense a but?" he asked as he finally reached her foot and began rubbing.

"But I promised Roland I would make him apple pancakes and so I must get started!" And with that Regina hopped off the bed and quickly dressed. "Will you get dressed, make sure Henry is up and about and that Roland picked out an outfit suitable for rainy weather?" she called as she headed downstairs to start on breakfast.

Sure, sure, I'll get the boys ready while you make Roland your famous pancakes just for getting out of bed, Robin huffed to himself. If it made Regina happy though, he was more than happy to do it, he supposed.

"Hey Ro! Whatcha got on for today?" Robin asked as he stepped into the little boy's room.

"Hey dad! I pickeded out my Iron Man shirt, but I don't know what shorts to wear. Mommy always takes clothes out for me," he responded with a slight frown of frustration.

"Okay, why don't you take out a couple of pairs of pants to choose from while I go check on Henry, okay?" Suggested Robin as he headed next door to make sure Henry was awake and getting dressed.

"Hey Henry, if you hurry up I think your mom is making her famous apple pancakes."

"Oh, okay, thanks Robin, I'll be down in a few minutes," Henry responded.

Robin stepped back to Roland's room. "Hey Ro, you got some pants pulled out?"

"Yep! Which ones dad, which ones?"

"Well let's see, how about these gray corduroys?" he said holding up the pair of pants for Roland to look at. The boy cocked his head for moment, considering the proffered pants of Robin's choice and then moved his hands over to a pair of green cargo pants that decidedly did not match the shirt Roland picked.

"I think, I think I want the green ones! Green's my favorite color!"

"Okay Ro, if that's what you want to wear let's get them on so we can have breakfast, okay?"

"Okay daddy!"

A few moments later Robin and Roland were heading down the stairs to join Henry and Regina for breakfast. Unsurprisingly, he supposed, there were only three places set with Regina's famous apple pancakes. She was really sticking it to him, then.

"Wow mommy, you did it!" Roland exclaimed as he climbed into his chair and began eating hungrily at the pancakes.

"Hmmm, yes I did. I made you a promise. One should always keep promises, shouldn't they, Robin?" She smiled in Robin's direction. Robin was starting to get the feeling that perhaps he forgot to do something and Regina was punishing him for it. The only problem now was to figure out what it might be that he forgot to do. He had taken out the trash like she asked him to, so that couldn't be it. He got Roland ready, complete with weather appropriate clothing just like she asked him to. He just couldn't put a finger on it. This was really going to bother him all day, he could feel it. He didn't really like being ill at ease while he was at work and starting off the morning on Regina's bad side certainly put a damper on things. He sighed as he walked over to his wife who was leaning on the counter. He was just about to lean in to kiss her when she stepped away.

"Okay boys, you've got five more minutes before Robin has to take you to school okay?" Regina stated as she sat down and began to eat her pancakes.

"Hey, are there anymore pancakes left?" Robin was beginning to get frustrated with his wife. Just exactly was she getting at?

"I'm afraid not dear, but there is coffee, if you'd like. Oh, there are some apple slices leftover from pancake making." She said nonchalantly as she took a sip of coffee from the mug in her hands. She made a face and then, "On second thought, you can have my coffee."

"Right, I can have your coffee. Could I get a bite of pancakes before we head out?"

"You can have some of my pancakes daddy! Mommy said she needed all her pancakes! I can't finish mine. Mommy said we shouldn't, we shouldn't, what shouldn't we do mommy?" Roland turned to Regina with the sweetest confused look.

"Wasteful. We shouldn't be wasteful. How sweet of you to offer your breakfast to your father. Five minutes are up! Grab your coats and head out to the car, your father will be there shortly." Regina told the boys. She went to stand up and faltered for a moment, placing her hands on the table to help steady herself.

"Regina, are you okay?" Robin asked, afraid to approach his wife given her cold demeanor this morning.

"I'm fine," she responded through gritted teeth. "The boys will be late if you don't get a move on, okay? I'll pour you some coffee in a thermos, okay?"

"Yeah, oh, okay. You know what, why don't you sit back down and take a moment? I'll pour the coffee myself and get you some water, how does that sound?" Robin pushed Regina back into her seat and walked to the sink to fill a glass of water.

"Don't trouble yourself. Pour your coffee and go, I'll be alright. I'll just here a moment, okay? I have to head out to the office in a few minutes anyway."

"Hey, what's going on? Are you feeling alright? Did I do something? If I did, can you tell me what it is so I can make it right?" Robin questioned while rubbing Regina's back.

"No, I'm okay. I'm not sure what's going with me right now. I'm feeling all out of sorts. I'm sure it's nothing. Sorry. Have a good day at work, okay? Be safe driving." Regina sighed staring off across the room. She really had no idea why she was in such a mood. Maybe she was PMSing, that would certainly explain the mood she was in. She would try to convince her friend Emma to meet her for lunch at Granny's and get a hot chocolate. Yes, she was definitely in need of some chocolate.

"Alright, dear. I love you and I'll see you later tonight, okay?" Regina shook her head as Robin leaned down to place a kiss on the forehead.

Hours later found Regina staring out the window of her office watching the raindrops race down the side. Her mood had not really improved since that morning. Not even the hot chocolate she convinced Emma she needed made her feel any better. In fact, it probably made things a little worse. She had taken a few sips, but it didn't quite satisfy her. Emma told her it was probably because of the disgusting lunch she gobbled down. Emma had never seen Regina eat something so unhealthy, let alone the quantity of food she consumed. Hell, Regina even helped herself to food off of Emma's plate and she's always complaining about the unhealthy food choices Emma makes. There was a knock on her door. Regina sighed before swinging her chair around and calling for whoever it was at her door to come in. She hoped they would be quick because she was due to leave the office shortly to pick up the boys.

"Hey, special delivery," came the voice of her secretary. In walked her secretary with a bouquet of wild flowers interspersed with chocolate covered strawberries. Regina silently chuckled to herself. Robin must have arrived at the same conclusion of her PMSing. She didn't know if she should be offended or glad he was thinking of her penchant for all things chocolate when she was menstruating. Who the hell cares? She has chocolate!

"Is it okay if I set them down right here?" the secretary asked.

"Oh yes, sure. You wanna help me eat the strawberries? I have to leave in ten minutes to get the boys. I won't have time to eat all of these before the chocolate starts to melt." It didn't take much to convince her secretary to help herself to the sweets. The secretary was surprised Regina was eating the confection at all. Regina was always very concerned with her figure. Although, the secretary thought, Regina seemed to have put on a couple of pounds recently. Oh well, the secretary thought, marriage tends to have that effect on people. Happy, fat and married.

Henry and Roland were out running in front of Regina. It finally stopped raining and the boys were glad to be outside. They couldn't go out for recess earlier because of the rain. She smiled. How sweet it was the boys were getting along today. Dividing her time between the two boys was sometimes a bit overwhelming. With Henry, she knew the things he liked to do, watch super hero movies, read comic books together and play video games. With Roland it was a little different. She knew what Henry liked to do when he was Roland's age, but she wasn't sure if _that_ was the same thing Roland liked to do. She often tried to take Roland's lead which always leant to an exhausting adventure that she couldn't always follow. Especially lately, lately she found herself falling asleep often during their play-dates. Sometimes Robin would wake her when he shut the front door and she found herself hopping off the couch rushing to the kitchen to get started on dinner. He would shake his head and take over Regina and Roland's play date. She loved her husband more on those days. Today, however, today he was on her bad side and she wasn't quite sure why. Perhaps she'd just gotten up on the wrong side of the bed.

"Hey mom!" Henry called out to Regina, shaking her out of her thoughts.

"Mom! Mom! Can we stop for ice cream?"

"Ice cream? It's a bit chilly for ice cream, isn't it?" she asked the grinning faces of Henry and Roland.

"Nope, it's never too chilly for ice cream," explained Henry.

"Yeah, 'special when they gots apple pies! We can get them heateded up! Ms. Mary said so!" Roland told Regina as he went to grab her hand and drag her in the direction of the ice cream parlor.

"Ms. Mary told you that, did she? I'll have to have a little talk with her." Regina smirked as the entered into the parlor.

"Good afternoon! Have you guys come to try the apple pie a la mode special? It's been a big hit!" offered the proprietor, Ms. Ingrid.

"So I've heard. My boys would like to share one apple pie a la mode, please."

"Mo-om!" cried Henry and Roland in unison.

"I really shouldn't be letting you have any ice cream at all before dinner, so you either share or you don't get any at all."

"Okay," the boys both dropped their heads in defeat.

"Alright, anything for you Mrs. Hood? Would you like an apple pie a la mode as well?"

"Hmm? No, thank you. We'll just go sit over there." Regina led the boys over to a table in front of the window so they could do a little bit of people watching. Conversation soon drifted to what the boys did at school and how much homework they had to work on when they got home. Henry had Algebra homework and a reading assignment. Roland had letter tracings. She could have a nice evening and not be bothered too much then.

"Is this seat taken, mi'lady?" A strong British accent whispered into her ear.

"Robin? What are you doing here? How did you know we were here?" Regina gasped as Robin sat down next her.

"Well I was hoping to make it to you before you left work. I thought we could take a stroll before picking up the boys from school, but you are too fast for me!"

"Hmmm, well I enjoyed the flowers and chocolate covered strawberries. Are you apologizing for something?"

"I don't know, if I need to apologize for something, then yes they were an apology. If not, then they were just an "I'm thinking of you" gift."

"Oh, I see. How was your day?"

"It was great. Not too much trouble on patrol. I think the rain kept the crazies inside today."

"Well, it's not raining now. Good thing you're off duty so you don't get roped into anything to keep you late at work."

"Yes, good thing. Looks like the boys are done with their ice cream. You didn't get anything?"

"No, the strawberries were enough. Boys, are you ready to go? You've got homework and I need to get started on dinner, okay?"

"Okay momma." Roland said as he hopped of his chair. The rest of the family followed suit. Robin grabbed the door and allowed Regina to follow the boys outside to continue their trek home.

"Hey mom, look! A rainbow! Can we follow it to the end and look for the pot of gold?"

"Ha ha, so it is a rainbow! My dear you can chase the end of the rainbow but you'll never find it."

"No?"

"No my boy. A rainbow is a gift, a promise to be kept. You wouldn't want the promise to end, would you?" Henry shook his head no at Robin's statement. The family finally made it home and began their nightly routine. The boys sat down at the kitchen table and started on their homework while Robin and Regina started on dinner. Dinner went by in relative silence and soon it was time for the boys to head upstairs and get ready for bed. The parents sat on the couch to start on their routine of quality time to themselves.

"So my dear, are you in a better mood than this morning? Will you stay awake this time?" Robin teased.

"Hmmpf, I am more than capable of staying awake. And I was not in a bad mood this morning."

"Oh, you weren't? Why wouldn't you make me apple pancakes?"

"Because, because…well I don't quite know why. I was feeling flirty. I gave you mine."

"Heh, you gave me your pancakes because you didn't want them anymore. And if that was flirting, well allow me to give you some lessons." Robin pulled his wife into his arms so they could snuggle down.

"Well, you still have some making up to do."

"I do?"

"Yes. I require a snack."

"A snack? We just finished dinner!"

"I know, but I feel like something else."

"Ohhhhkay. What is it that you would like?"

"Apple pie a la mode."

* * *

As always please Read and Review!


	5. Chinese Food

Here's another chapter for you guys to enjoy! Thanks for the follows and favorites, it really means a lot!

* * *

It was Robin's day off for the weekend. He loved sleeping in on those mornings. He also loved watching Regina get dressed. Sometimes though, he would wake up just to watch Regina sleep. This particular morning, however when he opened his eyes to steal a glimpse of Regina, he found she wasn't there. Perplexed, he sat up to scan for her in the darkness of their bedroom. There, he saw a light shining underneath their bathroom door. And then he heard a sound. A sound that sounded an awful like throwing up. Not again, he thought. This was probably the third morning in the past two weeks he's found Regina throwing up with the door shut so he wouldn't know. But he always knew. He pulled the covers from around his body and padded across the hall to make sure the boys were up getting dressed. He knocked on Henry's door and the boy answered that he was up. Next he went to check on Roland. Hopefully Regina laid out clothes for the young boy, otherwise it might detour Robin from his plans to make an edible breakfast for the boys and some peppermint tea for Regina.

"Hey Ro, are you awake?" Robin asked as he pushed open the lad's door.

"Yes daddy!" Roland yelled back.

"Are you getting dressed? Did Regina lay you out some clothes to wear?"

"Yes daddy! She got out my Hulk sweater and green pants! But I need some help with my boots," he responded.

"Okay, daddy can help you with that. Put your clothes on and brush your teeth. Grab your shoes and bring them downstairs. We'll put your shoes on after breakfast, how does that sound?"

"Okay Daddy! I'll be down in a jiffy!"

Robin chuckled to himself. Roland never ceased to amaze him. He loved that little boy's quirkiness and growing independence. Robin started down the stairs wondering what kind of breakfast he could make that the boys would find palatable. Recently Regina tried teaching Robin how to make omelets. He certainly could give it a shot by himself. If all else fails, he could turn them into scrambled eggs. Robin reached the kitchen and flipped on the lights. The tea kettle was sitting on the side of the sink. He filled it with water and set it on the stove to warm while he got started on the omelets. There was cheese and spinach and some mushrooms. He wasn't quite sure what meat to use, bacon maybe? He pulled out the skillet to start in on the bacon while he whisked the other ingredients together in a bowl. The tea kettle started to let out a shrill whistle and he grabbed for it before it got too loud. He wanted to surprise Regina with his efforts as a husband who could anticipate her needs. He pulled her favorite mug from the cabinet and filled it with the hot water and added the tea bag to let it steep while he prepared the first omelet.

Henry was the first one downstairs. He entered the kitchen expecting to see his mother cooking the wonderful food he smelled wafting through the house. His eyes went wide when he saw the somewhat botched omelets plated up on the dining room table.

"Does mom know you're attempting to make omelets without her help again?" Henry question when he went to sit down at the table.

"Nope, and I think I did a pretty good job! They're mostly intact! It's a surprise. I'll never get the hang of it if she's always hovering."

"Who's always hovering, dear?" Regina said as she entered the kitchen with Roland in tow.

"Um, no one dear! I was just telling Henry I think I got the hang of these omelets – that I just need a little bit more practice." Robin explained hoping his wife hadn't heard everything he said.

"I see. Well, it smells, it smells. Actually, it smells bad. I'll be right back. Roland sit here and eat and I'll be back shortly to help with your shoes." Regina sat Roland down in the chair and then disappeared back upstairs.

"Hey, it does not! It smells delish! Roland, I thought I told you I would help you with your shoes, why did you bother Regina?"

Poor Roland looked down in his lap, "I'm sorry daddy. Mommy came to check on me and I wanted to try to put my shoes on but I couldn't. She said she would help."

"That's okay. Mommy wasn't feeling well earlier, I didn't want anyone to disturb her."

"She hasn't been feeling well a lot lately. Is she okay?" commented Henry as he popped the last bit of omelet into his mouth.

"I'm not quite sure Henry. I'll talk to her about it later, see if I can't convince her to go to the doctor."

"Ha, good luck with that! It would take an act of God to get her to go to the doctor."

"Oh, is that all? I've got connections with the man upstairs. We'll get it all sorted. Now clear off the table and help your brother with his shoes. I'll run you over to school, okay?"

"Alright, come 'ere Ro, let me put your shoes on." Regina appeared a few moments later looking a little flushed. She sat down at the table and put her head in her hands. Robin placed the tea he'd made in front of her. She looked up and smiled at Robin.

"How did you know this is exactly what I needed?" she asked, taking a sip of the soothing drink.

"That's my job, is it not? To anticipate your every need and whim?"

"Well thank you, I don't think I could find anyone in the world with that unique ability."

"Right, well I'm gonna run the boys over to school and then I'll be back in a jiffy."

"Oh, thanks. I seem to have gotten behind in my morning routine. It'll give me a little more time to properly dress."

"Do you think you should go into work? You haven't been feeling well these past couple of weeks. Perhaps you should see a doctor?"

Regina looked pointedly at Robin and scoffed. "Thank you for your concern, but I'm fine. It was probably the Chinese food we ate last night for dinner. Greasy food never really sits well with me, I should've learned my lesson by now. Take the boys and then you can drop me off at work," Regina stood up from the table a little unsteady and headed upstairs.

"See, told ya Robin." Henry grinned at his victory in knowing Robin wouldn't be able to convince his mother to go to the doctor.

"Oh, you may have won this battle, but the war is certainly not over, sir Henry. Now let's head out, I don't want to make your mother late for work, she'd have my head." The boys grabbed their book bags by the door and put on their coats and headed out to the car. The ride to school was uneventful. He let the boys out at the front entrance and told them he would be the one to pick them up after school. They waved goodbye and trotted off inside. On the ride back, Robin racked and racked his brain. Regina's explanation of bad Chinese food certainly seemed plausible. She usually ate pretty healthily. The vomiting episodes really weren't that close in between. Maybe she was right, maybe it was nothing. He certainly hoped so, he couldn't bear losing another wife to an illness. He got just a little bit teary-eyed thinking of Lydia. She was so young, he thought. If only she could see how Roland was growing into a wonderful little boy. He hoped she approved of his choice in marrying Regina.

Robin finally made it back to the house after a slight detour around the block to clear his head from thoughts of Lydia. He walked in the front door expecting to find Regina standing in the foyer tapping her heel and reading him his rights for being a little late coming back to the house to pick her up and take her to work. Strange, he thought when he walked through the front door and she wasn't there.

"Regina?" he called taking the stairs up towards their bedroom. She didn't answer. "Regina? Regina, love are you alright?" He heard a sob. "Oh mi'lady, what's got you all out of sorts?" Robin questioned upon entering the room and seeing his wife sprawled out on the bed sobbing. Their room looked like a hurricane came through and tossed the entire contents of Regina's side of the closet.

"This is all your fault!" She cried. What on earth was she talking about? He had picked up all his clothes as she requested, being the neat freak that she is.

"I've done nothing of the sort! Wait, what's my fault exactly?" She sat up on the bed and motioned to her bra and panty clad body.

"This. You married me and got me fat and happy. I can't fit into my clothes! What am I supposed to wear to work today? I've got that executive meeting in three hours! Three hours Robin! I still have some finishing touches to put on the presentation. Now I can't do that because I can't go out of the house dressed in a lingerie set!" Robin chuckled at the hysterics. He made her fat and happy.

"You! You think this is funny? I'll show you funny!" She got up off the bed, marched straight towards Robin and made move to punch him square in the nose. Fortunately he caught her hand and in one swift movement tossed her over his shoulder and carried her towards the bed.

"Hey now! Sit. We'll figure this out. I'm sure there's something in here in your closet you can wear. What about those dresses you wear when you're a little bloated, hmm?" He sifted through some items in the back of her closet. Regina sat wide-eyed on the bed. That bastard. That…her period clothes, how dare he! How…oh shit, she thought. Her period clothes.

"Yes, I'm sure those will do nicely Robin. Pick one out for me," she said and made a move towards the bathroom. She pulled out the box of tampons and took a couple out. She emerged from the bathroom to Robin holding up a black dress. She walked over to the dresser and put the tampons in her purse.

"A black dress Robin? Isn't there a navy blue one in there?"

"Wha? I happen to like you in black. I'll be more than happy to get you the navy blue one. But if you're wishing to ace that presentation, you in a black dress is also part of the visual portion," he said with a grin before disappearing back into the closet and emerging with the requested dress. Regina thanked him by dropping a kiss onto his cheek.

Robin pitter pattered around the house after he dropped Regina off at work. He felt like relaxing. Sure, there was plenty he could do around the house like putting away the clothes Regina left lying all over the floor. He could go grocery shopping. He could actually rake up the leaves without the boys jumping in the piles. He could also just lounge around catching up on the shows he misses out on being an awesome dad. If he happens to fall asleep, well he needs the rest.

Buzz buzz. Robin woke to the sound of his phone buzzing. It was Regina. She sent him a text message.

"Sorry for overreacting this morning. To make it up to you I am treating you to dinner. Mary-Margaret said she would keep the kids, so it will be just us adults. See ya soon XOXO."

Well then, Robin supposed he should straighten up for his blushing bride. It wasn't very often Regina apologized and Robin was going to do everything in his power to not jeopardize this strange turn of events. He cleaned up the kitchen and put all the clothes back in Regina's side of the closet. Raking of the leaves would have to wait for another day. Robin hopped into the shower and dressed in some dress slacks and a button down. He wasn't sure how Regina planned on treating him to dinner.

"Robin! I'm home! Where are you?" Regina called when she entered the house carrying bags of takeout. She decided on a quiet dinner at home rather than a night out at a fancy restaurant.

"Uh, I'll be down in a minute, babe!"

Regina headed into the kitchen and began pulling the contents from the bags, plating them and carrying them to the dining room table. Next she placed white tapered candles onto the table and lit them. Once everything was set, she took her coat to the hall closet and put it away and while she smoothed her dress, Robin descended the stairs and greeted her with a kiss.

"Hellllo beautiful!" Regina blushed.

"Hello my dear sweet husband. Dinner is served!"

"Ahhh, to what do I owe this…Chinese food?" Robin queried once he saw what was on the table.

"Um, yeah, I was kinda craving it. I know we had it last night, but I just really wanted it again, I hope you don't mind." Regina said, inviting Robin to sit.

"Well, no, I don't mind, but didn't it make you sick this morning?"

"Hmmm, well so it did. I'll take some tums before we go to bed," she said before taking a bite of her vegetable low mein. The rest of the meal went on in relative silence, largely because Regina was too busy scarfing down her food. Once they were done, they moved to the den and Robin grabbed a bottle of Cabernet. The wine had them both feeling nice and pleasant and,

"Kiss me."

"What?"

"Kiss me, Robin. Kiss me. We have the house to ourselves, let's make the most of it," Regina said as she leaned into Robin and captured his lips with hers. They tasted of the remnants of the wine bottle long forgotten while they cuddled on the couch. Robin didn't hesitate to return the kiss. At first, they were soft, teasing, but Regina was hungry for more. She seemed to have a ravenous hunger that needed to be satiated and she intended to be sated. It had been quite some time since they had time to themselves and neither one of them wanted it to go to waste. The slow languid kisses deepened and soon the couple found themselves gasping for breath. Robin pushed Regina back a bit and unzipped her dress spilling forth her breasts, supple and over flowing the lace bra hidden underneath. Regina stood up to allow the dress to fall to her feet and stepped out. Robin stood up to join her, holding her close. They swayed to silent music for a few moments before Regina started dropping feather light kisses upon her lover's neck. He moaned out in pleasure and took to massaging her breasts. She hissed out.

"Too hard?"

"Mmmm, they're a little tender," Regina responded as Robin continued kneading, a little softer than before. She dropped her hands to his pants and unzipped them so that they too fell to the floor and joined her discarded dress. More kisses, skating across the jawline, down the neck as they stood close. Regina reached down again and gave Robin a little stroke. He shuddered. He turned Regina and backed her against the couch until the backs of her knees hit the cushions. Falling backwards, she pulled Robin awkwardly on top of her. They giggled. They laid together on the cushions of the couch just gazing into each other's eyes, their lust for each other somewhat abated. Drinking in the wonders of each other, how lucky they were to find each other, to find love again after life dealt them what seemed a cruel blow, taking their former loves from them. And now, now Robin slowly adjusted himself as Regina parted her legs to accommodate Robin's new position. He pressed his lips onto the swells of her breasts and trailed kisses down to her lace panties. He tugged them down her hips and kissed the sweet softness there. Regina let out a low moan. Robin grinned slightly as he brought his hands down to feel her wetness. So, so wet and ready, waiting, he knew. He knew he wanted this moment to last a little longer, for with two boys in the house most of their escapades were quick moments in between putting the boys to sleep and getting enough sleep through the night. No, this, this needed to last he thought as he slid two fingers in and began slow ministrations against Regina's clit.

Regina's breath hitched when Robin started working her. Gods how she both loved and hated this man right in this moment. She was already worked up, had been since she walked in the door. She made quick work of dinner because dessert was what she was truly after. Robin started slow at first and steadily built up speed with his fingers and soon Regina was writhing against Robin's fingers. She wanted more. She reached down to help Robin, to speed him on even further. He stopped. Oh that man, Regina thought. She started to sit up to take control. He shook his head and pushed her back down. He dipped his head between her legs and slowly slid his tongue across her swollen clit. She was wonderfully plump and he sucked, once, twice, darting his tongue in and out. The pulls were so strong, leaving Regina shuddering in pleasure, oh how close she was. So close she thought she would cum on his lips and that, that was unacceptable. She wanted to last as long as she could and so she wrapped her legs around Robin's head and held him there. He stopped. He looked at her and climbed back up her body. He dropped a kiss on her lips. He wanted her to taste herself just as he tasted her. So wonderfully Regina. Regina hungrily accepted the kiss as she stroked Robin's pulsing manhood. It was Robin's turn to let out a low groan. He kneaded her breasts some more. He bent to the one on the right and sucked until the nipple was hard while he rolled the other nipple between his fingers. Oh my Regina was quite aroused. Her eyes betrayed a want and need he was quite unaccustomed to.

"Robin," Regina uttered in a low moan as her body arched against Robin, hoping to encourage him.

"Hmmm, yes my dear?" Robin grinned against the breast he was currently working on.

"Either get in there or I will finish myself off," Regina huffed out in annoyance.

"My, aren't we a bit impatient?" Robin responded as he spread her legs a little further open with his knee.

"Oh, it's been far too long, I'm not even quite sure how I've lasted this long." Regina shifted her hips so they angled up to meet Robin's hardness. Robin gave himself a stroke, once, twice and rubbed Regina's clit once more and then settled himself inside her. Regina responded with a moan and another shifting of her hips to get the angle just right. And then, and then they settled into a slow and steady rhythm, blissfully unaware of each other, wrapped in their own pleasures. In, out, in and out.

"Harder Robin, harder!" Regina cried out. Robin was hesitant but he felt an edge overtake him and wasted no time in slamming against Regina with force and speed. She was coming apart underneath him. He wasn't quite ready. He pulled completely out and shifted himself into a sitting position. He pulled Regina on top of his lap and eased her onto his shaft. She gasped out in pleasure as she straddled Robin and started off a rhythm on her own. She was in control and she wanted it, wanted it bad. Sweat beaded up on her brow as she leaned slightly away from Robin, pleased with this new angle she'd found. Up and down and a slow grind and then, a low guttural scream escaped her lips as her orgasm overcame her, making her shudder at the contractions she felt. Robin then took her hips to continue her up and down motions on his shaft.

"That's it Regina, keep at it. I'm so close, keep going for me love."

"Oh Robin, ugh," Regina steadied her rhythm against Robin as she rode out her orgasm, gearing up for another. She wanted this. She needed this. She wanted to cum with Robin and hoped he was as close as he said he was. She couldn't take the pressure that was building up any longer.

"Gods!" Robin shouted as he hit his peak and spilled his seed inside Regina. What a release it was for him. He didn't think he'd ever cum so hard in a long time. Regina stilled herself against Robin and leaned into him, exhaustion taking over. They stayed that way for a few moments before Regina slowly climbed off of Robin's lap. Robin reached out to steady Regina on her feet.

"Oh my, what a mess we've made," Regina laughed out. Her inner thighs were sticky with Robin's semen as was his lap. She headed to the kitchen and popped back out with a dishrag.

"Here, let's get cleaned up." Regina wiped at her legs before wiping up Robin's lap. She leaned down and planted a kiss on Robin's lips.

"That was most amazingly wonderful, my love. It's been far too long since we've gotten to enjoy each other like this," she smiled against his lips.

"Mmm, indeed it has. That was a most excellent idea to have Mary-Margaret to keep the boys. I knew there was a reason I married you."

"You mean it wasn't just for my ass?" Regina chuckled at her joke.

"Well, the most important reason was your ass, but I kinda like your brain too," Robin responded to his wife's banter. Regina reached out her hands Robin and pulled him up off the couch. She bent down to pick up their clothes and shoved them into Robin's arms before pulling him towards the stairs.

"Where are we going?"

"Well, we need to throw these clothes in the wash. And then we need to get ourselves cleaned up, don'tcha think?" Regina said with a wink.

"Oh, you clever little minx!" Robin hurried up the stairs and tossed the clothes into the washing machine before joining Regina in the master bathroom. Regina was already in the shower, waiting for Robin. He stepped in and she seized him and placed kisses on his lips. Down his jawline she went. Then, to his chest, down is wonderfully sculpted abs, all the while stroking his cock. Robin was half-way hard. Regina gazed into his eyes before kneeling in the shower and taking him in her mouth. Robin's mouth gasped open at the sensation. Regina licked up and down his shaft as Robin let out small moans of pleasure.

"Regina, please," Robin was putty in her hands. She worked Robin with her tongue and mouth until he was fully erect again. Robin pulled her up and shut off the shower. He picked Regina up and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her into the bedroom.

"Robin, what are you doing?" Regina called to him as he walked to the bedroom door and shut it. Oh, she thought, this is new. She grinned as Robin pinned her against the door. Supporting her ass with one hand he rubbed at her clit to make sure she was ready. He found himself quite pleasantly pleased to feel her already engorged and waiting. He slipped inside her and thrust upwards, she screamed his name. This round was quicker than before, both of them already heightened. Both of them spent. Robin thrust a couple of more times before spilling again into her and dropping her back down to her feet.

"Robin, we're gonna have to take another shower."

"Hmmm, somehow, I don't think you'll mind, mi'lady." And no, she found she didn't mind at all.

* * *

And as always please read and review...especially the review part!


	6. Le déguisement

Oh my gosh - thank you guys so much for the faves and follows! I'm glad you're enjoying the story I have decided to tell.

* * *

Henry stood in front of his closet scanning the contents to put together a Halloween costume. He'd never been really good at picking out his own costume; his mother always seemed to have a good eye for clothing. This year, however, was different. His mom now had the task of dressing a five-year old in a costume. Henry was a big boy now. Well, he was almost a teenager now. His mom had long ago stopped picking out his everyday clothes, so it was inevitable that he find himself at this moment with no ideas for a costume next week. He was really stumped. Superhero? Naaa, those costumes were played out. How about old faithful Dr. Whale look-a-like? Not that either.

"Henry! Mommy sent me to come get you for movie night," stated Roland who seemed to appear in his bedroom doorway out of nowhere. After only living together for a few short months, Henry was starting to realize just how sneaky that little boy was.

"Okay, Ro. I'll be down in a minute," Henry responded numbly. Henry shut his closet door and walked over to his bookcase. It may be movie night, but they always had to watch Roland's movie first before they could get to Henry's pick. It was a compromise Henry and Regina had come to when the Hoods and Mills first started out living together. Roland was a bit young for Henry's live-action super hero movies and Henry could only watch Robin Hood so many times before the DVD had the unfortunate mishap to find itself under Henry's shoe, crushed. Honestly, how do those things happen? Henry decided on an issue of Captain America comic book.

"Oh hey, look who finally decided to join us! Your mom's just grabbing the popcorn. Why don't you go help her? And by help, I mean, don't let her add anything extra like last Friday, hmm?" Robin called to Henry when he saw him coming down the stairs.

"Sure thing, Robin. What movie has Roland picked out for us tonight?" Henry responded, pausing before going to help his mother.

"I pickeded out a good one this time Henry!" Roland giggled out.

"He really did pick a good one this time. I think even you'll appreciate it."

"Well, what is it? If it's so good, I mean," Henry pleaded.

"You'll just have to wait and see. Now, go help your mother," grinned Robin. Henry let out a small sigh. He was starting to get the feeling that Robin and Regina must've bought Roland another copy of Robin Hood.

"Hey mom. Robin sent me in here to make sure the Evil Queen doesn't poison the popcorn like last week," Henry said, seating himself on a stool on the counter. He peered onto the counter so he could see where exactly to swipe a few pieces of popcorn before Regina had a chance to pour what looked like chocolate syrup over the popcorn.

"What? Poison the popcorn? I'm just pouring chocolate syrup on it. A little sweet, a little salty, like me. But if you boys are gonna complain about what _I_ am preparing, then why don't you fix another bowl? I'm not sure I feel like sharing this one," Regina smirked and ate a few pieces of her snack. "Mmmm, delicious! Nope, definitely don't feel like sharing." She then took her bowl of popcorn and sauntered out to the den. Henry shook his head and grabbed another bag of popcorn and put it in the microwave. He then pulled open the fridge and grabbed a couple of sodas. They could only drink sodas on movie night, thanks to Regina's health nut tendencies. On movie nights, all bets were off, especially lately. His mom had come up with some pretty weird concoctions that almost involved some sort of sweet and salty. At first he thought it was her time of the month, but these strange cravings came at odd times. Whatever, he thought. Some of her strange concoctions actually weren't all that bad. He was actually curious as to what her current popcorn and chocolate sauce snack might taste like. Unfortunately, he also learned in recent weeks that if his mom didn't offer her concoction for one to taste, one wasn't at liberty to try it without her permission. The microwave let out a beep. Henry grabbed another bowl. Then he grabbed the bottle of chocolate sauce and poured some over his fresh bowl of popcorn. And walnuts. Mmmm, almost like Fiddle-Faddle.

"Henry! What's taking so long! We're readies!" Roland called from the den.

"Alright, alright! Hold your horses, I'm coming!" He called while carrying is confections. "You still haven't told me what it is we're watching." Henry said as he settled in his spot on the floor next to Roland.

"It's a surprise! You have to wait 'til daddy hits play, right daddy?" Roland's grin stretched from ear to ear.

"Yep! Is everyone nice and settled?" Robin asked.

"Yesss. Now hurry up. I want to eat my snack while the movie is playing," Regina whined from next to Robin on the sofa.

"Okay, here goes!" Robin started the movie. No cartoon music Henry thought. This was a promising sign. And then the title screen. Robin Hood, Men in Tights. Henry sighed. At least it wasn't that darn cartoon fox.

"Do you like the surprise Henry? Mommy said you might like this ver, ver…what was the word, mommy?"

"Hmm? Oh yes, version."

"Yeah! That's the word! Mommy said you might like this version of Robin Hood. Do you, Henry? Do you like it?" Roland was bouncing on his knees, desperate for Henry to like something the little boy liked. Henry considered Roland for a moment. He ruffled his hair and smiled.

"Yeah, I like it. Now quiet down so we can hear. Have some popcorn. I didn't poison this batch like mom did," Henry said while tossing back a smile in Regina's face. Regina smirked in return and reached forward to steal from the batch Henry made. "Hey mom, no fair! You don't let us eat from your special popcorn," complained Henry.

"That's because it is _my_ special popcorn. This batch you have here was to share, was it not?" she winked and popped a handful in her mouth. Henry rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the live – action Robin Hood. He actually didn't particularly care for this version or any version of Robin Hood for the simple fact that is was Robin Hood. Roland had driven Henry up the wall with his obsession with Robin Hood.

About half – way through the movie soft snores could be heard coming from a small little boy laying on the floor to Henry's right. Soft snoring sounds could also be heard coming from behind him as well. Henry craned his neck to see both his mom and Robin leaning on each other looking rather peaceful. He supposed the movie didn't quite hold their interest either. He sighed and turned off the movie, debating whether or not he should put in his movie pick for the night. It was supposed to be a thing just for him and his mom. However, he was getting older and perhaps didn't need her as much. After – all, he was trying to put together a costume all on is own this year. Truth be told, it was quite a daunting task. His mom always had such good ideas. Well, they were mostly based on how cute or adorable he looked. Maybe her great costume ideas benefited her. He looked at the time on the DVD player and even though it was a Friday night and it was okay for him to stay up a little later than usual, he found himself droopy – eyed. He removed the DVD from the player and placed it back in the box, chuckling to himself. At least they tried to appease both him and Roland with their pick. Next, he threw a blanket on his sleeping parents. Then whipped out his cellphone and snapped a picture. He might need that for posterity, or blackmail, depending on how one looked at it. He then picked up the slumbering five – year old, who weighed more than he thought based solely on appearance and took him upstairs to his bedroom and tucked him in. Finally, Henry retired to his bedroom, an idea for costumes forming in his mind.

Saturday morning found Henry waking up earlier than he usually would out of excitement. He padded to the bedroom next to his to see Roland still slumbering away with the covers kicked off. He then padded across the hallway to see if his parents were up and about. Their bedroom door was wide open and the bed was made. Strange, he thought, if they were truly up and about he surely would smell the tell – tale signs in the form of Saturday breakfast. Down the stairs Henry crept to see what his parents were up to. No noises could be heard from the kitchen, no light banter or the television blaring Saturday news before Roland could steal the remote control in favor of cartoons. Instead he still heard the soft snores coming from the sofa. Those two, he chuckled to himself, must be really exhausted to not only have fallen asleep on the sofa, but to also have stayed there all night in that uncomfortable position. Since no one in the house other than Henry seemed to be interested in eating he supposed he could have whatever he wanted for breakfast. Only problem was the only thing Henry was allowed to make without supervision for breakfast was oatmeal. Regina frowned heavily on packaged and processed foods and Henry found himself frowning on his mother's frowning on all things glorious to eat. He pulled the milk out of the fridge and poured it over his apples and cinnamon flavored oatmeal and popped that into the microwave to heat. The microwave let out a shrill beep and he rushed to shut it off wanting to enjoy this quiet moment all by himself, such a rarity with a five – year old running around. It was into Henry's third bite that he felt eyes staring at him. He glanced down to find a sleepy – eyed Roland rubbing his eyes.

"Morning, Henry. Where's mommy and daddy? They weren't in their room for Saturday snuggles," complained Roland. Henry let out a small chuckle at the little kid. Roland really did need more attention than Henry did. Henry ruffled the boy's hair.

"Shhh, they're still sleeping. Want me to make you some oatmeal?" Henry asked as he climbed off the stool he was sitting on to grab a bowl and some oatmeal for Roland to eat.

"No, I want momma to make her apple pancakes like she always does on Saturday. And then I want to watch my cartoons like we always do on Saturday," whined Roland.

"How about this? How about you eat your oatmeal and we let mom and Robin sleep and I'll let you read one of my comic books?" Henry cringed at the offer of letting Roland put is grubby hands on his comic books but he really needed brownie points with his parents. He was no fool. Crushing Roland's DVDs over and over has him hovering over hot water.

"Really? I can read one of your comic books?" Roland grinned giddily.

"Yes, but only if you eat the oatmeal that I make for you, ok?"

"Okay!" Roland hopped onto the stool next to Henry's spot at the counter and awaited his breakfast and a chance at reading one of Henry's coveted comic books.

About an hour later Regina began to stir from her position leaning next to Robin. She eased herself into a sitting position and tried to rotate out the crick in her neck. She stretched for a moment, blinking her eyes to adjust to the darkness. She tried to focus on the time on the DVD player, thinking she fell asleep during the movie and that it was late. Her eyes widened, however, in realization that yes, it was late, but not late at night as she assumed. It was late in the morning. She shot up off the sofa, startling Robin.

"Wha, what's going on?"

"Robin. We fell asleep here last night. It is ten in the morning! Where are the boys?" Regina huffed out anxiously.

"Hey, hey, come 'ere. Relax okay? They actually probably went up to bed," Robins stated calmly while rubbing his wife's arms.

"But it's ten in the morning! Roland should be up by now. You know how much he likes to climb into bed with us for snuggles," Regina countered.

"Well maybe he climbed into our bed without us. Let's go upstairs and check, shall we?" Regina slowly nodded her head and allowed Robin to lead her up the stairs. They made it up the stairs to their bedroom and took notice of the nicely made bed, indicating that no; their youngest son had not climbed into their bed without them for the ritual Saturday morning snuggles. Next they crossed the hall to find Roland's bed devoid of the little boy. They then walked to the next room over, Henry's, to see if the little boy managed to convince his older brother to let him in the bed with him. No such luck. Neither boy was in Henry's room.

"Robin, I'm really starting to worry, the boys aren't anywhere to be found," Regina complained. Robin grabbed Regina by the shoulders and massaged her arms up and down in hopes of calming her.

"Gina, relax. Perhaps they went to the kitchen to fix themselves something to eat," Robin offered. If Robin had his camera right then, it would've been the perfect opportunity to catch Regina's look of shock.

"Oh no. They don't know how to cook anything!" She took off towards the stairs and headed to the kitchen. "Henry, Roland! Are you guys down here?" Both boys looked up from their seats at the kitchen counter to see their mother looking a little wild-eyed.

"Uh, yeah. Where else would we be?" Henry asked, trying to keep his sarcasm down.

"Henry Daniel Mills. Do not take that tone of voice with me! We woke up and you boys were nowhere to be found. Sorry if I was a little worried."

"Sorry mom. You and Robin looked so sweet sleeping on the sofa. And we were hungry."

"Yeah, we weres hungry! Henry wouldn't let me snuggle with you though. He said we should let you sleep."

"Ohhh baby! You could've woken us. I love it when we get to snuggle!" Regina said as she bent down to hug Roland. "Now, Henry said you were hungry. Would you like me to make you Saturday morning apple pancakes? Hmm?" she continued on as she headed towards the pantry to take out ingredients for pancakes.

"No momma, Henry made us oatmeal! And he said if I ate my oatmeal we could read his comic books! Can we go read comic books now? Pleeeeeaaaase?" Regina turned to look at Henry with a slight smirk. She knew her son and she knew how possessive he was with his comic books. She sensed he was up to something.

"Henry, dear, that's awfully nice of you. What do you want?" His mom was no fool. Henry decided to go ahead and play his Ace up the sleeve.

"Oh nothing."

"Nothing? Nothing? You let Robin and I sleep in, you made Roland breakfast and you're going to let him read your comic book?"

"Well, since you asked. You know how Halloween is next week? And you usually help me with costumes?" Regina nodded for him to continue. "Well, after watching Robin Hood Men in Tights last night, I have an idea for costumes! For all of us! It'll be great! A perfect way to celebrate our first Halloween together," Henry said as his grinned stretched as wide as a Cheshire cat's. Regina rolled her eyes. That clever little boy.

"Well then, go ahead, spit out," encouraged Regina.

Henry grinned even wider. "We should go as characters from Robin Hood Men in Tights."

* * *

Who's ready for a little bit of audience participation? These aren't necessarily prompts that I guarantee will be covered, I merely need suggestions for activities the Hood-Mills family could do or some amusing predicaments the individual members of the family might find themselves in. I was an only child so most of my activities included reading and cheer leading practice :-)


	7. On fete, shopping

Thanks for all the reviews, favs and follows! I hope you continue to enjoy the story!

* * *

Robin entered the kitchen to find Regina leaning on the kitchen counter, lips pursed with a scowl on her face. She was chewing on the eraser of the pencil she had in her hand while she stared at the piece of paper resting on the counter. He called out to her,

"Hey Regina. Shopping list gotcha stumped?" He said as he opened the fridge and pulled out the orange juice and poured himself a glass. Regina simply hummed in response and jotted something down on the paper. Robin came to stand beside Regina. She reached out, taking his glass of orange juice and took a sip.

"Ohhhh kay. Well I'm just gonna grab the boys and we'll play ding dong ditch, starting with our house." Robin was quite perplexed by Regina's attention to the shopping list. Really, they usually just jotted down when someone took the last of something on the magnetic list on the fridge. This list was different. The regular list still hung on the fridge. He came to stand beside her again and leaned over her shoulder.

"Hey! Robin, you're kinda stressing me out here." Regina stalked off towards the kitchen table and sat down in front of what he supposed was her breakfast. That is if you call regular salted potato chips and pimento cheese breakfast.

"Hey, what's going on? How complicated could a shopping list be? Why aren't you using the one we always write on anyways?" Robin asked while sitting down next to Regina and attempting to swipe some chips before Regina could slap his hand away.

"This is just not some list, Robin. This is the list for Thanksgiving dinner. Our first one as a family and I want it to be perfect." Robin chuckled.

"Oh Regina, love. It would be a perfect dinner if it only consisted of spaghetti and garlic bread just because we are spending it together as a family." Robin leaned in and kissed Regina's cheek. She huffed out again.

"You don't understand! I really really want this to be special, okay? Don't make fun! If you're not going to help then you can take the boys out for a while so I can finish the list and get the shopping done." She was almost in tears. Robin didn't quite understand this sudden rush of emotions but he gave her a gentle hug and peered down at the list.

"Okay, well you've got turkey and a ham? Hmm. Mashed potatoes, love those and so does Roland. Dressing, cranberry sauce, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, corn, sweet potato soufflé . This is a lot of food! Who are you feeding, an army?"

"Well, I thought since it was so special we could invite our close friends over to celebrate since they're like our family, if that's alright with you."

"Oh Regina, love. It would be a perfect dinner if it only consisted of spaghetti and garlic bread just because we are spending it together as a family." Robin leaned in and kissed Regina's cheek. She huffed out again.

"You don't understand! I really really want this to be special, okay? Don't make fun! If you're not going to help then you can take the boys out for a while so I can finish the list and get the shopping done." She was almost in tears. Robin didn't quite understand this sudden rush of emotions but he gave her a gentle hug and peered down at the list.

"Okay, well you've got turkey and a ham? Hmm. Mashed potatoes, love those and so does Roland. Dressing, cranberry sauce, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, corn, sweet potato soufflé . This is a lot of food! Who are you feeding, an army?"

"Well, I thought since it was so special we could invite our close friends over to celebrate since they're like our family, if that's alright with you."

"Well if that's what you want to do and if it will make you happy, then it will make me happy. Let's do it! I only have one request for your menu and I hope you'll oblige."

"Hmmmm, what's that?"

"I need one of your famous apple pies. Al.l To. My. Self," he punctuated the words with a kiss on her cheek, forehead, nose and lips.

"Well, I suppose that can be arranged," Regina leaned into Robin with a smile. The doorbell rang and Robin and Regina could hear the footsteps of their boys running down the steps. "Boys! No running! You know the rules!" Regina called out.

"What's got them all excited? I've never seen them in such a hurry to answer the door."

"Oh, that might be because I arranged a play date for today."

"Really now? And how do you plan on getting the shopping done for this feast you're so anxious about while entertaining kids on a play date?"

"Easy, you're in charge of the play date!" Regina laughed as she stood up from the table and went to the front door to greet her guests, Mary-Margaret, David and little Neal. "Why, hello Neal!" Regina reached out to take the toddler from David's arms so Mary-Margaret and David could step inside.

"Hey Regina, Robin. Hello Roland and Henry," Mary-Margaret greeted the family. "Regina, are you ready to go? We've got a lot to do today."

"Wha? What is going on here? Today is Saturday, a day of rest. I was planning on lounging around the house, resting." Robin complained.

"Oh, this is what they do! They secretly plan your days off and then tell you last minute you get to watch three boys while they go shopping so they can, and I quote, 'slave over a hot stove for a Thanksgiving feast sure to knock your socks off!' end quote," David said, complete with air quotes. Regina turned and smiled. Robin looked at her. She had the biggest grin on her face and seemed completely content with Neal resting on her hip. He pulled out his phone and snapped a picture. He stepped to her and took Neal out of her arms.

"What was that for?" She asked as she handed the toddler over.

"Nothing, you just looked incredibly happy and I wanted to savor the moment. Now you two go! I hope this feast will be worth it!" Robin pulled out Regina's coat and held it out to her.

"Alright. Boys, behave for Robin and David. We might bring you back a treat. Please don't destroy the house. Santa's watching."

"Santa can see us? Where is he? I'm not done with my list yet!" Roland chattered away and the adults couldn't help but laugh at his precociousness.

"Ro, Santa's just watching to make sure we're doing what we're supposed to be doing, otherwise we don't get presents. Come on, I'll let you pick out a movie as long as it's not Robin Hood, Lady and the Tramp or The Lion King." Henry responded before dragging the five year old towards the den.

Regina and Mary-Margaret settled themselves into Mary-Margaret's car. Regina still had a few things she wanted to add to the list, she just wanted to run them by Mary-Margaret first since they would be the ones cooking all the food. She was also hoping to rope Emma into joining their little feast as well. While she was thinking about what other items besides Thanksgiving food to put on her list, she was acutely aware of Mary-Margaret calling her name.

"Regina!"

"Hmm? Did you say something?"

"What's the matter? You looked like you were miles away!"

"Oh, yes, I'm fine. Just thinking about what else we might like to cook."

"Well, what have you already got on there?"

"Oh, um I have turkey, ham, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, corn, sweet potato soufflé, collard greens. Can you make green bean casserole? I'm sure I could manage from a recipe. Robin wants me to make apple pies. What else do you think we might need?"

"Well, I'm sure I could manage a green bean casserole just as well as you can. We need more green things. How about some broccoli? I make an awesome broccoli stir fry. What other desserts...Regina? Are you listening?" Mary-Margaret snapped her fingers to get her friend's attention.

"Oh, yes I'm listening. I think writing while riding isn't sitting well with my stomach," she said as she placed the grocery list in her bag and rested her head in her hands.

"Are you okay Regina? You're looking a little pale. We're almost to the store. Please don't get sick in my car." Mary-Margaret said half-jokingly, hoping to ease Regina's pain. Regina shot her a death glare. Apparently she wasn't in the mood for jokes.

"Um, do you think you can pull over? I think I'm gonna," Regina cracked the window to catch a breeze.

"Oh, no you don't! Wait two seconds, Regina. Regina?!" Mary-Margaret pulled the car over just in time for Regina to wrench the car door open and vomit what looked like orange chunks.

The pixie-cut brunette parked her car, quickly hopped out and rounded the car to help her friend. She rubbed soothing circles on Regina's back while she finished vomiting what Mary-Margaret supposed was Regina's breakfast. After a few moments, Regina's episode subsided into dry heaves and she eventually stopped. Mary-Margaret reached into her glove compartment for some napkins and handed them to Regina.

"Ahem, uh, thanks Mare. I don't know what came over me. Perhaps I shouldn't have eaten those potato chips with pimento cheese," Regina eased herself back into the car with an uneasy chuckle. Mary-Margaret stared at Regina for a few seconds and then walked back around to the driver's side of the car. She fastened her seatbelt and resumed driving. A few moments passed before Mary-Margaret decided to address Regina.

"Regina, Robin mentioned to me you've been getting sick and that you refuse to see a doctor." Regina paused and stared at her friend for a moment before responding.

"Oh he did, did he? Well Robin needs to mind his own business. Sometimes food just doesn't sit well with me. I try to stick to a very careful diet, which was easier when it was just me and Henry. Being married to Robin, I have had to indulge in some rather unhealthy food choices sometimes. I don't want to be a spoil sport when we go out for pizza and I eat a salad," she huffed out in annoyance.

"Regina, he's just concerned. He doesn't want to lose you like he's already lost his first wife. You can't blame him for that." Regina softened a bit, and then her eyes seemed to well up with tears. What was going on…oh. Oh no, Mary-Margaret thought to herself. "Regina, if I may, can you jot something down for me to get on your list?"

"I just threw up from getting car sick while riding, but if you need me to write one item down for you because you can't remember, by all means, let me get out the pen and paper!" Mary-Margaret chuckled to herself. She couldn't believe this at all. Yet, it all made sense when you really thought about it. She was going to have to be very delicate with this one.

"Oh thank you Regina, you're awesome. Pregnancy test." At that moment Mary-Margaret wished she could've taken a picture of Regina's face.

"A pregnancy test? Neal's not that old! Do you think it's really a good idea to have another child so soon?" Oh yes, Mary-Margaret thought, definitely delicate.

"Um, well you know how these things happen on, on accident," Mary-Margaret stuttered out. Someone give me an Oscar! She thought to herself.

"Well, yes accidents happen. That's why they make condoms and birth control pills," Regina plainly stated. Soon they arrived at the store. Regina was the first out of the car, glad to no longer be in a moving vehicle. "Let's swing by the in-store coffee shop and get some peppermint tea to help settle my stomach," Regina tossed over her shoulder, tired of waiting for Mary-Margaret to get out the car. Mary-Margaret hurried out of the car to catch up with Regina. Peppermint tea might actually be a nice Fall drink. The two women strolled into the store, stopping by to pick up a shopping cart and then heading over to get their tea. They sipped at their tea for a moment before Regina whipped out her list and headed over to the produce section.

"So Regina how is married life treating you?"

"Oh, it's treating me just fine. Robin is so kind and caring. I wouldn't have needed to get my own peppermint tea," Regina added with a hard stare into Mary-Margaret's direction. Both women chuckled. "Alright, let's get green and red apples for the apple pie. And cranberries and mandarin oranges for the homemade cranberry sauce."

"Homemade cranberry sauce? You're making that, right? My parents usually just get the stuff in the can. I like to slice the can-shaped gelatin and plate it," Mary-Margaret chuckled to herself as she tossed in a bag of mandarin oranges. Regina simply rolled her eyes. It was statements such as those that made it painfully obvious the age difference between them. Regina headed for the collard greens and scanned the offerings for some that hadn't picked through and Mary –Margaret headed over to the broccoli. Regina then pushed the cart over to the next aisle and continued their shopping adventure. Tea. Peppermint tea. She'd been drinking so much of it lately she was almost out. Perhaps she should get checked out. She's had stomach problems before and tried to control it best with diet and she certainly didn't want to resume medication. Perhaps though, she might need it to jump start things. She tossed in two boxes and headed for the coffee.

Their shopping continued on in relative silence as Regina seemed miles away. Eventually they made it over to pharmacy section of the store that contained those pregnancy tests Mary-Margaret made Regina put on the list.

"Alright, we're here. Which test would you like?" Regina turned to ask Mary-Margaret.

"Oh, um, I don't know. They each have different benefits, right?" Mary-Margaret picked up two different brands and studied the back. Regina was impatient.

"Oh for Christ's sake, get the cheaper one, we just need to know if you're pregnant or not, then you can make an appointment with the doctor and they can tell you any other pertinent information," Regina stated as she took the cheaper pregnancy test out of Mary-Margaret's hand and tossed into the cart.

"Hey, Regina?" Mary-Margaret called out before the woman could get too far away.

"What is it now? If you can recall I vomited my breakfast on the side of the road and it's well past lunch. I was trying to be patient, but I am hungry and cranky. I would like to get this stuff home, please."

"I'm a bit nervous to actually take the test. Do you think, uh,"

"Spit it out already," Regina huffed out in annoyance.

"Um, do you think you could take one with me?" Mary-Margaret stuttered out. Why did this woman make her so nervous? Regina's eyes popped so far out of her head that Mary-Margaret thought they would actually fall out and she would have to go chasing the rolling eye balls around the store.

"What? Seriously?"

"Yes, it would make me feel better. And as a kind, caring, compassionate, friend, I know you would do this for me. Please." That's right Mary-Margaret, play Regina's compassionate side, which she was sure was in there, somewhere, she hoped. Regina took a moment to seriously consider her friend's request.

"If it gets us out of this store sooner, fine. Get me one too," and Regina stalked off towards the checkout section of the store.


	8. On fete, playdate

The second installment.

* * *

"Well boys, what would you like to do? Anything other than watching…what are you boys watching?" Robin asked after cleaning up a bit in the kitchen and talking to David for a little bit.

"We're watching, um, we're watching Robots! Isn't it cool daddy?" Roland yelled over his shoulder from his position on the floor next to Henry. Robin stared at the television screen for a moment. Henry had a habit of helping Roland pick out age inappropriate movies and it drove him and Regina up the wall. It was a constant battle. Regina had even been thinking of redoing the entire movie night arrangement.

"Uh, while this movie does have robots in it, I'm afraid this is Transformers. Henry, you're not even supposed to be watching this movie without adult supervision. Turn it off."

"But Robin!"

"No buts, turn it off. Until you can learn to pick out movies that both you and Roland can watch you will have to run every choice by me and Regina, got it?"

"Yes sir," Henry sulked while reaching for the remote and shutting off the movie.

"Now Roland, since we can't watch movies, why don't you pick an activity for us to do?" Roland pondered for a moment while Henry let out a groan.

"I know! Let's play Robin Hood with my Legos! And Henry, you can be Robin Hood!" Roland turned to grin at Henry. He knew Henry would be upset about not getting watch his movie.

"How does that sound David? Would you and Neal like to play Legos with Roland, Henry and me?"

"Uh, yeah sure! Whadya say you little two year-old? Ready for Legos?" David laughed at the absurdity of a two-year old managing constructive play. If anything, Neal would probably just chew on the oversized blocks.

They all played with Roland's Legos for a little while before Neal started getting fussy. David tried to quiet him but he was soon approaching tantrum level.

"Why don't we take a break from Legos? Maybe go outside for a walk?" David suggested to the group.

"That sounds like an excellent idea. You know what sounds even better? Raking leaves!"

"Yay! Daddy can rake the leaves and me and Henry and Neal can jump in them!" Roland exclaimed jumping up and down. Robin had forgotten how raking leaves usually goes with the boys. This time, however, he was determined to actually get them raked up and into bags.

"Tell you what, you can play in piles of leaves for a little bit, but then we absolutely must get them into bags. We wouldn't want to upset mommy by leaving a messy yard, would we?" Robin tried to reason out with Roland.

"Mommy will be upset if we don't put them in bags? She's never been upset before when we don't put them in the bags." Roland reasoned out.

"Well that's because she knows it will make you sad. I happen to know that sometimes when we don't get the leaves in the bags and leave them all over the yard it makes her cry at night." Boy Robin was stretching things a bit. It would be worth it if it meant he actually got the yard straightened up.

"Well, while you guys are raking leaves, Neal and I will make lunch!" David called out. He didn't want to rake leaves and chase a toddler around the yard. He could barely get that done at his own house. Robin cocked an eye brow at David, but decided to concede.

"Alright, that's the plan then. David and Neal will make us lunch and we'll rake leaves."

"And what do we get to do later? Raking leaves isn't fun. Mom said this was a play date. This is shaping up to be a work date." Henry stated, still miffed about having it shut his movie off.

"Yeah daddy, this is work stuff!" Roland echoed. He was shaping up to be a mini-Henry and Robin wasn't sure he liked the direction this was heading in.

"Well, we can have arts and crafts!" Robin suggested.

"Yeah! Arts and crafts! Just like in school! That's my favorite day!" Roland said, bouncing on his toes.

"Mom doesn't like us to do arts and crafts cuz it's messy," countered Henry.

"Well we'll just have to clean up after ourselves then, won't we? Now let's get started. The sooner we rake the leaves, the sooner we can eat lunch and the sooner we can do arts and crafts!"

"Yay!" exclaimed Roland. He was easy to please. Henry on the other hand just sulked towards the back door.

"Well Neal, let's see what we have in here that we could make into lunch, eh?" David swung Neal onto his hip and pulled on the refrigerator door to scan the contents. He found some turkey lunchmeat, some bologna lunch meat and some vegetables that he could make into a salad. Healthy crap. It's Saturday, we should be able to eat bad, David thought to himself. He shut the refrigerator door and headed towards the phone to dial the local diner. He could order up bad crap and also not cook it. After he placed his order he put a light jacket on Neal and headed out to pick up his order.

"Hey guys, I'm gonna head over to Granny's to pick up lunch." David called out the back door to the group raking up leaves.

"Oooo! Can I come with you?" Roland exclaimed. Raking leaves was no fun if you couldn't jump in the piles of leaves.

"Uh, I guess so. Ask your father first," David replied to the little boy's request.

"Can I daddy, can I?" Roland then turned to Robin with the sweetest smile.

"Sure, grab your jacket okay? It's a bit nippy out. Henry and I will finish raking leaves and hopefully be done by the time you get back."

"Why does he get to go to the diner and I'm stuck here, raking leaves?" Henry complained.

"I'm stuck here raking leaves as well. We all have responsibilities to help out around the house and raking leaves is one of them."

"How is raking leaves my responsibility? Why aren't you making Roland stay and rake leaves? And anyways you're the one who thought about raking up the leaves."

"Henry, I'm not going to argue with you. When Roland gets older, he will be better able to help out with more responsibilities around the house. Your mother and I discuss age appropriate chores for each of you. You can handle raking leaves. And you and I are working on this together. You are not alone." Robin told Henry, hoping to reason with the young lad. Sometimes Henry could be difficult and Robin and Regina weren't sure if it was Henry being a teenager or Henry having other, more personal issues. He often thought maybe they should go to family therapy with just Henry. Roland seems to have adjusted to the new family dynamic rather well. Those decisions were for another day. Today was supposed to be a fun day and although raking leaves didn't seem to be much fun for Henry, it wasn't as much work as he was making it out to be. Robin actually found it relaxing.

After a few moments, Henry resumed raking leaves into the pile he and Robin were working before David interrupted them about lunch. In a way, he was a little relieved to have a little time without Roland. As much as loved the little boy, sometimes having Roland follow him around everywhere was a bit suffocating. He wasn't used to all the attention, well, he was used to all the attention from his mother, but she was doting on him and seeing to his every need. Now his mom had to split her time between Henry and Roland and sometimes that really bothered Henry. He's glad is mom redid movie night, but he still wished he and his mom could do stuff without Robin and Roland. He thought about telling her this a lot, but was afraid how she might react. He could tell he was already causing discourse between Robin and Regina sometimes. His mom was finally happy again with Robin and he didn't want to destroy that. At the same time though, he wasn't exactly feeling happy. Maybe he could go hang out with his mom's friend, Emma. He used to always hang out with her since she didn't have any kids. Lately though she hadn't had much time for hangouts with a teenager when she had her boyfriend that she was spending a lot of time with.

Henry was lost in his thoughts raking leaves when he felt something hit his head. It was a leaf. One of the reasons he didn't like raking leaves before they were all off the trees was because there would always be more leaves to rake up. Another leaf hit is head, and then a big bunch of leaves were dropped on his head. He whirled around to find Robin laughing his head off after dropping a bunch of leaves onto Henry's head. Henry paused for a moment, unsure of what to do. Then he dropped his rake and picked up an armful of leaves and tossed them towards Robin. Robin had started a leaf fight. They chased each other around the yard throwing leaves for about fifteen minutes when Robin finally held his hands up in surrender.

"Okay, okay, I give up! My sides hurt from laughing so much!"

"Yes! I winned!" Henry exclaimed in victory of besting Robin at a leaf fight.

"Welp, I guess raking leaves will have to wait yet another weekend. Whadya say we brush this stuff off and make some lemonade to go with our lunch, hm?" Robin asked as they both headed towards the backdoor that led into the kitchen.

"Okay, sounds great! Thanks Robin. That was fun."

"Anytime Henry, anytime."

* * *

Thanks for all the favs and follows! As always, reviews are appreciated.


	9. On fete, on fete

The third installment! I hope guys have been enjoying this.

* * *

The following week came a little sooner than Regina anticipated. Stressed out was one way to describe her current state. Freaked out was more accurate. She hadn't been this nervous the day of her wedding – first to Daniel and then to Robin. She's not quite sure why she's so freaked out. She's so nervous even her stomach is doing flip flops. She'd tried to sleep the night before but she just couldn't quite get comfortable. She tried many things that would normally put her to sleep; reading manuscripts, hot tea, hot shower, snuggling into Robin and then attempting to be intimate with Robin. Nothing, not one of those things put her to sleep. So here she was lying wide awake in bed at four in the morning next to her slumbering husband running through all the things she had to do that day to make sure her blended family's Thanksgiving went off without a hitch. Regina turned away from the clock and tried to snuggle once more into Robin's side. He shifted, unconsciously to accommodate her. She smiled a little at how much he knew about her, even in his sleep. All the more reason today needed to go well. She turned onto her side and shifted so her back was against Robin and pulled his arm across her body. It was a little chilly in their room and she wanted to steal his body heat. She let out a frustrated sigh and closed her eyes once more in hopes of getting some hours of sleep. She needed all the energy she could get to power through the day ahead.

There was a warm smell that drifted through the house. It woke Roland. It even woke Henry. Both boys stumbled out of their bedrooms and headed downstairs to see what breakfast their mother decided to prepare.

"Morning boys!" a cheery voice called out.

"Daddy! You're not mommy. Whatcha makin'?" Roland asked his father, eyeing him carefully. He knew Regina didn't trust Robin that much in the kitchen so he was a bit leery as well.

"I, young man, am making pancakes," Robin responded as he flipped the current batch he was working on.

"Does my mother know you're messing around in her kitchen?" Henry questioned as he sat down at the counter in front of the stove to watch Robin.

"No, she does not. She's still sleeping. I don't think she slept well last night. I thought we could surprise her with breakfast in bed. What do you guys think?" Henry cocked his head in thought for a moment before responding.

"Hmmm, I guess that's okay. Can we all have breakfast in bed, together?"

"Well, I don't see why not. I'm almost done with the pancakes. Henry, why don't you pour up some coffee for me and your mother and some juice for you and Roland?" Henry nodded his head.

"What about me, daddy? What about me?"

"Hmmm, I know! Here, I'll take down the food trays and you can put the plates on them."

"We need flowers daddy. Can we get flowers too?"

"Oh I'm afraid we don't have any flowers, ma boy." Roland dropped is head in disappointment.

"Ohhh-kay"

"All finished with the drinks, Henry?"

"Yep."

"Well then, I've got the pancakes on their plates. Syrup, some butter and silverware. Do you think you and Roland can carry your trays? I'll put me and your mother's plates on one tray."

"Yeah, we're both big boys, right Ro?"

"Uh huh," Roland nodded his head and picked up his tray. They all headed up the stairs to surprise Regina with breakfast in bed.

Regina slowly blinked her eyes open. She laid still for a moment trying to recall in her sleepy haze what had woken her up. Cold. She was cold. She turned to Robin's side of the bed and found he wasn't there. Odd, she thought. She was always the one up before him. She blinked and turned back over to look at the clock on the nightstand. It was a little after nine. After nine?! Oh shit, she thought. She was certain she set her alarm for six o'clock. She had a lot of food to get started on before Mary-Margaret came over to ruin, help, to help her with the side dishes. Regina sat up with a start. Dizzy. She felt a little dizzy.

"Momma! You're up! We brought you breakfast in bed!" Roland exclaimed as her trio of men waltzed in the door with pancakes. She couldn't help but chuckle.

"Hello my little knight! What's all this?"  
"Well, mi'lady. I had a feeling you didn't quite sleep well last night, so me and the boys thought you might like breakfast in bed before you started slaving away in the kitchen," Robin said as placed the food trays down on the bed. Regina smoothed out the covers so everyone could fit.

"Hmmm, thanks for the gesture. Did you shut off my alarm? I remember setting it for six so I could get started on the turkey. It takes the longest to prepare," Regina questioned Robin as she took a bite of pancakes. "Mmmm, these are almost as good as my pancakes! Given your talents with omelets I never would've guessed you could make pancakes," Regina barbed and leaned over to plant a kiss on Robin's cheek.

"Ewww. No kisses!" Roland cried out at his parents show of affection.

"Oh, my dear sweet wife, I have many talents in the kitchen. I just happen to know how much you love cooking and I wouldn't want to deprive you of that honor," Robin smiled and took a sip of his coffee.

"Mmmhmm. Well I appreciate the gesture. Now, let's finish breakfast. I'm already behind schedule. Mary-Margaret will be here soon and I'll need you boys to help me out. Do you think you can do that for me?" Both boys nodded their head in agreement. "Robin, you too."

"Oh, love I was hoping David and I would get to do some bonding. But I will be more than happy to help out in whichever way you need," Robin said as he popped the last bit of his stack on pancakes into his mouth.

"Great! Now here is the game plan. I am going to take a quick shower. Boys, you need to straighten up your rooms if they're not already. Robin, could you straighten up the den and dining room? And if you get to it, is there any way I can get you boys to finally rake up the leaves? Honestly, every attempt you make ends up scattered across the yard. I will head into the kitchen and start meal prep. Think you can handle this?" Everyone nodded their heads. "Great! Now let's take all this down to the kitchen and get started." They all gathered their trays and took them downstairs and set off on their different tasks.

Ding dong. The doorbell let out a tone just as Regina finished basting the turkey. She hoped it was Mary-Margaret and David come prepared to finish off the remaining side dishes and setting up. Robin and the boys were currently outside raking the leaves and the leaves seemed to be contained in their piles, for now.

"The door's open, come on in!" Regina called while she pulled out pans and ingredients for her next dish. Mary-Margaret and David and Neal rounded the corner to the kitchen. David set down the box he was carrying. "What's all this?" Regina asked, referencing David's box.

"Oh, just some stuff I thought I might need to help finish preparing dinner. Hope you don't mind. David, why don't you take Neal and see what Robin and the boys are up to? Guests will be here soon and we wouldn't want to keep them waiting."

"Alright, come on Neal, let's see what trouble we can cause Auntie Regina." David headed through the kitchen door that led to the back yard. Regina let out a silent prayer that David would help rake the leaves and not contribute to delinquency.

"So, how's it going?" Mary-Margaret asked as she began to pull out the contents of her box and set them on the kitchen counter to get started on her side dishes.

"Oh, it's going alright, I guess. I'm a little behind schedule. I had a terrible night of insomnia and when I finally got to sleep, I overslept my alarm. Or I didn't hear it and Robin turned it off."

"Regina, I meant how's everything going with you? Is you tummy still giving you fits?"

"What? Oh, every now and then, I just need to get back on my medication, that's all. Say, did you get in contact with Emma? Is she coming?"

"Medication for throwing up? And yes, I managed to pin her down. She and her new boyfriend are gonna come over a little early. I thought she could help with setting up."

"Setting up? Is she gonna set up the games station because she's not much use for anything else."

"Regina. She can make the rolls, how's that? And you skipped over my question."

"What question was that?"

"The one in which you tell me how you're on medication for throwing up. If it's medication for your ulcerative colitis, we both know throwing up is not a symptom. Try that again." Regina pursed her lips at her friend's accusation.

"Just what are you insinuating there, _friend_." Oh dear, Mary-Margaret forgot she was supposed to be handling this with delicate hands.

"Oh, come on, Regina. You're newly married and having sex like bunny rabbits…certainly something must've slipped." Regina cocked her head to consider her words before responding.

"I'll have you know, not that it's any of your business, but it is extremely difficult to have sex like bunny rabbits when you have a five year old who constantly forgets to knock on closed doors before they come busting into your room. Let me know how that works out for you when Neal's a little older, hm?" Regina snapped as she returned to the task of dicing the potatoes and putting them in the pot to boil.

"Uh-huh, I see. Touchy, aren't we?" Before Regina could respond, the doorbell sounded out to announce another arrival. "Oh, that must be Emma, let me go let her in." Mary-Margaret hopped of the chair she was sitting on during her meal preparation.

"Oh, Emma, I am so glad you're here! Operation Kangaroo is going down in a blaze. Come help me please." Mary-Margaret said when she opened Regina's front door to let the blonde in.

"Uh, no. I told you I would like to stay on Regina's good side. It's never good to be on her bad side. I'm already in the doghouse enough as it is. I haven't gotten a chance to spend any time with Henry since they got married and that's been about 3 months," Emma said as she walked further into the house.

"Whatever. That's because you spend all your time with Killian. She doesn't want to impose. Speaking of, hi Killian. Regina's sent all the men out to the back yard to rake up leaves. Make sure they actually end up in the bags and not strewn all over the yard, okay?" Mary-Margaret pushed Emma and Killian towards the kitchen.

"Oh, Ms. Swan, so glad you could grace us with your presence. You must be Killian," Regina smiled and stuck out her hand for Killian to shake. He took it uneasily and began a slow shake.

"Right, good to meet you as well, Regina. Uh, Mary-Margaret said you put all the men to work raking your backyard?"

"Well, since you put it so bluntly. Yes I did. It's through this door here. They should be done by now, though. I'll be nice and let you guys sit in the den and watch whatever Thanksgiving Day football game is on. I'll even bring out some snacks. Dinner should be ready in about two hours. Think you can handle that?"

"Regina!"

"It's okay, love. You warned me," Killian said with a smile. He promptly walked through the back door. Regina turned to Emma.

"Warned him? Warned him about what, exactly?"

"I told him about your no-nonsense way about life. Now what's this I hear about vomiting episodes? And you not wanting to get that checked out?"

"Honestly, really? Mary-Margaret we're gonna have to have a little heart to heart." Mary-Margaret glared at Emma.

"Um, Emma, why don't we not bother Regina about her ulcerative colitis. You know how touchy she is about that. Instead why don't we take those pregnancy tests I stashed here?"

"Yes, it's hard enough hiding those from Robin."

"What do you mean "we"?" Emma asked Mary-Margaret. Mary-Margaret glared at Emma again. Emma's face dawned in comprehension.

"Oh, I think I would feel more comfortable if we all took one. You know, like that one episode in Friends?"

"If I recall correctly, the person who wanted to be pregnant was not, indeed pregnant."

"That's okay, Regina. I would be relieved if I wasn't the one actually pregnant. I thought about what we talked about in the store, and you're right. Having another child so close in age really isn't the most practical thing to do. But, to ease my troubled mind why don't we just go ahead and get this out of the way? It's really starting to wear on me not knowing."

"Alright, fine. Let me drain the potatoes and pop the pie in the oven to bake," Regina gave an eye roll and set about finishing her current task of potato draining and coating her apple pies with butter. She rinsed her hands off and grabbed the pregnancy kits from where she hid them in the liquor cabinet. All three ladies headed upstairs to Regina's master bedroom with the en-suite bathroom.

"Alright, let's get this over with." Regina stated as soon as she entered the room and shut the door to give them all some privacy.

"Great, who wants to go first? Regina?" Emma volunteered, anxious to get this all over with. In her mind, it was just easier to rip the band-aid off with Regina. Regina's eyes went wide at that suggestion.

"Wha? Why me first? Mary-Margaret is the one who started all this. She should go first," Regina countered. This was ridiculous.

"Oh, I would love to go first! But I don't have to pee just yet. Just go first Regina, it will be okay. All you have to do is pee on the stick." Mary-Margaret smiled at Regina hoping it was innocent enough looking to get Regina to just go take the test. Regina paused for a moment.

"Oh, alright. You better hurry up and get ready to pee. We don't have all day to wait on you to pee," Regina huffed out and went into the bathroom. A few moments later she came back out and sat on the bed. "Do you have to pee now?"

"Um, no, not yet, why don't you go Emma?" It was Emma's turn to glare at Mary-Margaret.

"I don't think so, I know I'm not pregnant. I'm on my period right now, thanks."

"No one asked you to volunteer that bit of information, Ms. Swan. Alright then, it says to wait five minutes. I'm going to go downstairs and put together that snack I promised the men. They're certain to be done with the yard by now. And by the time I return I expect you to have peed on that stick as well, Mare." Regina left Emma and Mary-Margaret in the bedroom by themselves.

"Way to go, Em," Mary-Margaret said as she smacked Emma in the arm.

"What did I do? You know it's easier if you just go ahead and do it. It's no use beating around the bush. I can't believe how completely clueless she is! Has it been five minutes yet?"

"I don't know, did you set a timer, cuz I didn't."

"No, I didn't set a timer, this isn't my operation. Let's just go look and see if it says anything yet."

"You really think we should? What if she walks in on us?"

"Easy, I'll guard the door and if she comes up the stairs, just pretend you're in there peeing on the stick, kay?" Mary-Margaret nodded her head in understanding of Emma's crack-brained plan and headed over to the bathroom. She picked up the test Regina set on the side of the sink and her mouth fell open. Sure enough there was a pink plus sign. Holy Shit! Regina was pregnant. She was going to have a baby. She was -

"Almost done in there Mary-Margaret?" Emma called out. Regina must be on her way back.

"Uh, yeah. Here I come." Mary-Margaret fumbled around with the other pregnancy test. She still didn't have to pee. Instead she wet the stick with water from the sink and set it next to Regina's.

"Well now I suppose we wait another five minutes for your test to finish." Regina said once she got in the room and crossed over to sit on the bed.

"Um, yeah. Let me set the timer on my phone." Mary-Margaret picked up her phone and sent a text to Emma.

 _Holy Shit Em, Regina's test is positive._

A tone sounded on Emma's phone to let her know she received a text message. Her eyes went wide with shock as she typed out a response.

 _Holy shit indeed! This operation just got a little messy. What do we do now?"_

 _"_ _I don't know! I don't know! I thought it would be positive but now that it is I'm not quite sure what to do!"_

"My my, aren't you two popular? Your phones just keep buzzing."

 _Regina is going to totally flip her shit! You better think of something! You're the one who started all of this._

"Um, Regina, what else needs to be done before dinner is ready? I'm sure Emma won't mind sitting up here with me if there's more that needs to be done."

 _What are you doing?_

 _Buying us more time. She can't find out right now._

"Oh, now you don't need my company. Great. Yes, I will go finish slaving around in the kitchen while you two sit up here and do nothing."

"Don't be that way, Regina. It's only five minutes!"

"Yeah, we'll be down shortly and help you set the table!" Regina rolled her eyes in response to Emma and Mary-Margaret. She should've known those two weren't going to be of any help.

"Fine, I'll start getting everything together. I expect you downstairs in five minutes. Do not make me come back up here, I promise, you won't like it." Regina stalked out of the room and headed downstairs.

"That was a close one. What do we do now?" Mary-Margaret questioned Emma.

"We. We take a picture of her test. After we get home from this shindig we send it to her!"

"What? Seriously?"

"Seriously. It'll be fine! Now come on, let's get this over and done with before she rings our neck."

Emma went to the bathroom and snapped the picture of tests and then tossed them into the trashcan. She didn't need Regina seeing those. She exited the bathroom and grabbed Mary-Margaret by the hand and dragged her downstairs.

Regina had practically finished putting the table together by the time Emma and Mary-Margaret made it downstairs. The rest of their guests had arrived so it seemed Regina was reluctant to make a scene, lucky for them. They all sat down at the table and had a most wonderful time. Emma and Mary-Margaret felt bad for leaving most of the preparation for dinner up to Regina so they offered to stay after everyone had gone home to help clean up. It was the least they could do.

"So," Regina started off once she loaded the last dish into the dishwasher, "What did your test say?" Mary-Margaret nudged Emma. It was now or never.

"Oh, um, my test was negative."

"Oh Mare, I hope you're not too torn up about it," Regina said as she reached to give Mary-Margaret a hug.

"No, not torn up about it at all, I'm actually relieved."

"Well good. Now you can properly plan for your next child." Emma silently chuckled to herself. Telling Regina she was pregnant didn't seem as stressful now that dinner was over.

"Something funny, Ms. Swan?"

"No, nothing's funny. Nope. Why don't we get outta here? I'm sure Regina's exhausted!"

"But what about – " Mary-Margaret started, but then Emma grabbed he arm.

"Nope, let's go. We don't need to bother her about anything else. Let's go!" Mary-Margaret slowly nodded and went to grab her David and Neal. Obviously Emma had other plans about how to tell Regina she was pregnant.

Once they were outside, Mary-Margaret turned to Emma, "What are you doing? That was the perfect time to tell her!" Emma shook her head.

"No, I don't think so. I don't think we should really be in the same room as Regina when she finds out."

"Well how on earth do you plan on telling her?!"

"I'm working on that."

Regina and Robin had put the boys to bed shortly after Emma and her boyfriend and Mary-Margaret and company left. To say they were exhausted was an understatement. Even though Emma and Mary-Margaret stayed to help clean up, they still had more straightening up to do. Regina was too tired to do anything else. All she had the energy to do was to strip out of her clothes and put on one of Robin's oversized shirts to sleep in. Robin wanted to take a shower to rid himself of the outside smell he picked up from raking leaves. The shower was warm and pure heaven. Once done, he stepped out and went to brush his teeth. Then he flossed his teeth and tossed the used floss into the trash, or so he thought. The flimsy strand missed the trashcan and he bent down to pick it up and placed it in the trashcan. That was when he saw the empty pregnancy test boxes. That was when he rifled through the trash and found the two tests. One was negative and one was positive. He looked towards the entrance of the bathroom and took a moment to think. Suddenly things started to make sense. Regina's vomiting and her aversion to certain smells. Her insomnia, her tiredness. Her ravenous appetite. Her appetite for weird food combinations. But if she suspected she was pregnant why hadn't she said anything to him? And why were there two pregnancy tests in the trashcan? He decided to ask Regina all about his find, even if she was already in bed.

"Hey, uh, Regina, dear? Have you got something you want to talk to be about?" Robin approached the bed with the pregnancy tests behind his back.

"Um, the only thing I wanna talk about is why you won't let me get some sleep right now."

"Well, I found something interesting in the bathroom and I'm not sure what to think."

"What did you find in the bathroom?" Robin produced the two pregnancy tests from behind his back.

"I found these. One is positive and one is negative. I don't quite understand."

"Oh my god! Mary-Margaret didn't tell me she was pregnant! That little scamp!"

"Mare, these are Mary-Margaret's?" Robin asked as Regina snatched the positive one out of Robin's hand. "I, I don't understand. What's going on?"

"Well, Mary-Margaret thought she was pregnant. She was too chicken to take a test by herself so she asked me to take one with her. Being the good friend that I am, I agreed to it."

"So, this is Mary-Margaret's? There's no way this could be yours?" Robin asked, sounding a little disappointed.

"Well, no! There's no way I could be pregnant. I had a bit of trouble trying to get pregnant with Henry. I know it's not something we discussed, but we haven't been married that long to talk about having more children and I thought we were good with just us and the boys. We don't really need anymore, do we?"

"Well, I mean, I hadn't really thought about it. I kinda liked to think we could have a child, together. But if that's not something you want I am completely and thoroughly happy with what we have right here, right now. If you're happy, then I'm happy."

"Oh. I didn't know you felt that way. I'm sorry Robin. I guess that's something we should've talked about. And, we still can talk about it, but not tonight, okay? I'm really tired and I would like to be a bit more alert for a serious conversation about having another child. I'll text Mary-Margaret about this." Regina placed the positive test on the bed and took a picture of it to send to Mary-Margaret. A few minutes later Regina's phone buzzed signaling Mary-Margaret had responded to her inquiry of, _"Care to explain this? I thought you said your test was negative."_

 _Oh, I didn't want to distract you from your first Thanksgiving. We can talk about it tomorrow. We're still meeting for lunch, right?_

 _Alright, that sounds fine._

* * *

I hope this wasn't too long. I wrote it in spurts.


	10. Secrets Between Friends

Are you guys still out there? I hope so! How was that two-parter?

* * *

 _Oh shit Em! Regina found the tests and she thinks I lied to her about being pregnant._

 _OMG what did you tell her?_

 _I told her we'd discuss it at lunch tomorrow. You have to come._

 _No, I don't…I wasn't invited to your secret lunch get together._

 _Well, it's not secret anymore. This is partly your fault. How did she find the tests?_

 _I may or may not have thrown them in the trash._

 _O.o What do you mean you may or may not have thrown them in the trash?!_

 _Well where else would you have me put them?_

 _Okay, you're right. We're meeting at Granny's for lunch around 12:30. Do you want to meet me at my loft before that or do you want to meet me there around noon, before Regina gets there?_

 _How about I not meet you anywhere? I'll just wait for the 911 call to come in to rescue you from Regina's attempt to murder you._

 _Emma! What kind of friend are you exactly?_

 _A smart one. Relax. I'll meet you there around noon. I detest waking before 10. It's why I have the afternoon shift._

And with that last text Mary-Margaret allowed herself to relax a little bit. She knew that ultimately she was going to have to be the one to break the news to Regina. Emma wasn't going to be much help. Lost in her thoughts, she felt the bed dip from the weight of her husband. He must have finished putting Neal down to sleep.

"Hey, what's got you all out of sorts?" David asked as he leaned over to gather is wife in is arms to comfort her.

"Oh nothing really. I just have to figure out how to tell Regina she's pregnant." David pulled back, clearly shocked at his wife's revelation.

"What do you mean 'Tell Regina she's pregnant?' How could she not know she's pregnant? Shouldn't she be the one telling you this? How do you know she's pregnant and she doesn't know herself?" David fired off.

"David, David. I need you to calm down. One of us needs to remain calm and that one is you. Robin mentioned Regina having vomiting episodes and refused to go to the doctor. He thought I might knock some sense into her and talk her into going. When we went grocery shopping for Thanksgiving and she had an episode, it kinda got me thinking that she might actually be pregnant. I tried to hint to her about it, but she didn't give any indication that she suspected she might be. So I decided to trick her into taking a test." David cut her off.

"But if she took the test, wouldn't she have seen the result?" Mary-Margaret stared hard at her husband.

"Hey, don't interrupt me while I'm in the middle of answering your questions with more questions. Let me finish. Now, the only time I've had to do this was today right before we set everything out for dinner. I told her I thought _I_ might be pregnant and I wanted her to take a test with me. She agreed, but since she 'knew' she wasn't pregnant she didn't exactly stick around for the results. Emma and I freaked out when we saw the test was actually positive and didn't know what to do. We felt Thanksgiving dinner wasn't exactly an appropriate place for that. Regina was already stressed about preparing dinner and making sure it was perfect. You know what a perfectionist she is." David nodded his head in understanding.

"Ahhh, I see. Welp, that does sound like a fun venture all for you! What are you going to do?"

"I honestly don't know. I have from now until noon tomorrow to figure something out."

"Why noon tomorrow?"

"Well, that's when I'm meeting Regina for lunch to explain why I initially told her my pregnancy test was negative when Robin found a positive one in the trash."

"What? So she thinks you're pregnant?"

"Yes. I'm trying to get Emma to help me out but I don't think she's going to be of much help. At least I was able to talk her into meeting up with us."

"Yeah, she's good moral support. Why don't you try to get some sleep? Perhaps a good night's rest will help you think better in the morning." David kissed his wife's temple and settled down under the comforter. Mary-Margaret sat up for a few moments more before shutting out the bedside lamp and snuggling against David, for warmth or comfort, she wasn't sure. What she was sure of is that come morning she needed a game plan.

The morning came sooner than Mary-Margaret liked. It took an hour for her to actually fall asleep, plagued by various scenarios in which to tell Regina she was pregnant. The light through the window was a bit bright and she clasped a hand over her face to ease the shock. She gave a heavy sigh and threw the covers off. Might as well get this over with, she thought. David's side of the bed was empty. He must already be up and about with Neal. Mary-Margaret headed over to the bathroom to take a quick shower. Showering and dressing would probably be the easiest part of her day. After dressing she took to the kitchen area of the loft to see pancakes sitting on the counter.

"Hey, how'd you sleep last night?"

"Morning. I could've slept better."

"Still no answers?"

"No, still no answers. I dreamt of various scenarios in which Regina wound up shooting fireballs at my head," Mary-Margaret let out a small chuckle before continuing on, "I couldn't think of one scenario in which Regina was calm."

"Well, may I suggest ripping off the band-aid? Just tell her the truth, the positive pregnancy test is hers. And then congratulate her. Give her a big hug! Maybe some flowers to soften the blow?" David suggested as he sat Neal in a high chair and put cereal on the tray for the toddler to eat.

"Maybe I should bring Neal with me. She wouldn't kill me dead if I had Neal. She loves Neal."

"Uh, no. You may not use our son as protection. If anything, I think Regina'll be a little bit afraid and in shock. I'm sure being pregnant is the furthest thing from her mind. She and Robin just got married. They're adjusting to a new family life. I think this needs to be something done in privacy."

"Well, it's too late for privacy. We're meeting at Granny's in a little bit."

"So you've said. Maybe you should see if you can't get Emma up and about and you guys go shopping for a little bit before meeting up with Regina. That way, you're a little distracted by your immediate task at hand and not have to worry about it for a little while. I am glad that you're not waiting until Regina is about ready to pop to inform her of her current state of being. That, she might never forgive you for." David placed a kiss on his wife's cheek before stealing a bite of her pancakes.

Mary-Margaret let out a small sigh in resignation, "I suppose you're right. I'll call Emma to wake her up."

Mary-Margaret found fate on her side when it came to waking Emma up. Emma was already up at nine in the morning. All Emma had to do was get dressed and come pick Mary-Margaret up for a shopping trip to the mall. Emma even offered to help Mary-Margaret figure out what to do and actually stay through lunch.

"So, what store you wanna hit up first? I'm partial to Spencer's. They've got cool, fun stuff in there."

"What Emma? No, we can't go in there!"

"Oh sure we can! The entire purpose of this trip is to help you relax so you can think properly. Come on, let's go there. It'll help loosen you up!" Emma pulled Mary-Margaret in the direction of the store that Mary-Margaret would probably never ever set foot in. That store was more of Emma's speed, so she could see why the blonde liked it so much. Mary-Margaret wasn't quite sure how looking at sex toys, crazy t-shirts and buttons and psychedelic posters was supposed to take her mind off of telling Regina that she was the one pregnant and not Mary-Margaret herself.

"Ooooo, look at this! Maybe we can get this t-shirt! It says 'Damn I Make Pregnant Look Good'. Or this one! It says 'I Miss Wine' and then we can get baby onesies!"

"Oh my gosh, Emma. You are so tacky."

"What, seriously? This'll be great! We'll get the shirt and this onesie that says 'I Drink Until I Pass Out'. We'll put it in a gift bag and call it an early Christmas present! And if it'll make you feel any better we can say it was all my idea."

Mary-Margaret slowly nodded her head in reluctant agreement. If Emma's genius plan caused Regina to want to bite someone's head off, she was glad it would be Emma's head that would get bit. Emma quickly pulled the items from the cubbies before Mary-Margaret could protest the absurdity of Emma's idea. Emma then grabbed Mary-Margaret's hand and dragged her over to the sex toy section.

"What are we doing over here now? I don't think anyone here needs anything from this section. I have a child; Regina's expecting her second kid…are we here for you?" Emma turned at this last statement, her mouth open in awe.

"Seriously? Just because I don't have any children doesn't mean I don't know how to have fun in the bedroom. We are over here for you. You need to loosen up, you're too stressed out. These will help. And alcohol. That will help as well. I'll even watch Neal so you can play with this stuff," she offered up a wide grin before adding, "see? I am a good friend. Now, what color would you like?" Mary-Margaret rolled her eyes before facing the toys to consider what color indeed would she like.

Two hours and five stores later found Emma and Mary-Margaret headed to the car. Mary-Margaret had to admit, goofing off with Emma and shopping was rather relaxing. She almost forgot they still had to meet up with Regina. Mary-Margaret still didn't know how she was going to approach the subject. She was secretly hoping Emma and her no filter mouth would do all the talking for her. That's really why she invited Emma to lunch. Emma didn't really care what people thought and liked to tell it like it is. Emma was only mildly afraid of Regina. However, Regina still needed Emma to watch Henry every now and then; she was almost like a big sister to the boy. They sat in silence for a few moments before Emma spoke up.

"Hey, what are you thinking? It'll be okay. Regina isn't all that bad. Who knows? She might take it really well!"

"You don't know Regina as well as I do. This isn't exactly common knowledge, but Regina can't have kids."

"What are you talking about? She has Henry and she's obviously gonna have another kid, we just haven't told her yet."

"She went through a couple of fertility treatments to have Henry. For all intents and purposes, she can't have children. She's gonna freak! She's gonna think we're messing with her head."

"Why didn't you tell me that sooner?! You know I'm big into gag gifts! How about this. We just tell her the truth about the tests and then give her the gift. She'll be too distracted from the absurdity of the gift to be mad at us."

"What if that doesn't work? What if she gets really angry?" Emma quickly swerved into the drugstore parking lot. "Emma, what are you doing?"

"Well, if she doesn't believe what we're telling her, she'll just have to take another test, won't she? She won't be able to deny that." Emma unbuckled her seatbelt and quickly ran inside before Mary-Margaret could protest anymore. It seemed right now Emma was the optimist and Mary-Margaret was uncharacteristically the pessimist. A few moments later Emma hopped back in the car and they headed towards Granny's. They were going to be late meeting Regina. They were going to start off on the wrong foot. Mary-Margaret sunk into her seat and tried to mentally prepare herself.

Just as predicted, Regina was already seated in a booth with a glass of water and coffee. Her lips pursed when Emma and Mary-Margaret walked into the diner and approached the table.

"What's all this? Went on a shopping trip without me and then showed up late to our lunch date? That's just in poor taste."

"Sorry Regina, Mare here was a ball of nerves and I thought shopping would help ease her troubled mind. You know, Black Friday sales." Emma responded as she sat down in the booth and picked up a menu. Regina rolled her eyes.

"Well Mare, there's no need to be nervous. Now, shall we order or shall we get to what we're here to discuss?"

"Um, why don't we order up some food first, then we can talk without being interrupted," suggested Mary-Margaret. She motioned for Ruby to come take their orders. Regina ordered a kale salad with grilled chicken. Emma ordered a grilled cheese sandwich and fries. Mary-Margaret ordered chicken parmesan and spaghetti; she was always partial to pasta. Once Ruby retreated, Regina folded her arms and look pointedly at Mary-Margaret.

"So, you wanna tell me why you lied about your pregnancy test?"

"Well, um, Regina, I didn't lie." Regina's eyes went wide.

"What do you mean you 'didn't lie'. Robin found the test in the trash!" Mary-Margaret stole a glance at Emma who was trying her best to seem occupied with anything else other than the current conversation. She gave Emma a kick under the table.

"Um, what we mean is…here, we got you a present!" Emma produced the gift bag with t-shirt and onesie from underneath the table and passed it to Regina. She pulled out the contents.

"Ms. Swan, your gag gifts never fail to disappoint. What's with all this?"

"Ahem. Regina, I'm just gonna spit it out and I need you to remain calm and not cause a scene, okay?"

"Me? Cause a scene? Don't be ridiculous! You're being weird, out with it!"

"Regina, the positive pregnancy test wasn't mine, it was yours." Mary-Margaret pulled back and braced herself for an outburst. Instead, Regina just sat there for moment. It was Emma who spoke next.

"Regina? Are you okay? Say something."

"That, that is not possible. This is a terrible, cruel and insensitive joke."

"No, Regina, it's not. I would never do anything like this, I know how sensitive a subject this is for you," Mary-Margaret pleaded.

"You're damn right it is. How could I possibly be pregnant?!"

Emma spoke up again, incredulously, "Think about it, Regina. You've been nauseous, eating weird shit, tired and cranky. Well, more cranky than usual."

"You don't understand, Ms. Swan. I had trouble conceiving Henry. When Daniel died, we were trying for kid number two. It just wasn't meant to be. And here you are throwing this in my face."

"Oh, I understand perfectly Regina. We need you to understand that despite the poor taste in gift, in which I was hoping to alleviate the stress of this situation, we would never take something as serious as this as a joke. If it'll make you feel any better, we bought another test just in case." Emma outstretched the newly purchased test in her hand and offered it to Regina. Regina sat across from the two women with her mouth open.

"You, you're serious, aren't you?"

Mary-Margaret nodded her head. "As a heart attack. If you don't believe us and want to be sure and retake the test, we won't be offended." Regina nodded her head and slowly retrieved the test from Emma's hand. "Would you like one of us to go with you?"

"Uh, no. I can go by myself. This is something I need to do by myself." Regina stood from the booth and headed for the restrooms in the back of the restaurant.

"Well, I must say, that went rather well, dontcha think? Look! Food's here!" Mary-Margaret shook her head. She wished she was a bit more carefree like Emma. She and Emma ate their food in silence while they waited for Regina to return from the restroom. Not that she was particularly hungry, but she was almost done with her dish before she started to really worry.

"Emma, do you think we should go check on her? She's been in there for a while."

"Naaa, she's probably just in shock. It was positive, right? Oh my god, what if it wasn't? What if it was a fluke! Oh shit, Mare! We didn't think of that!"

"It's too late now, damage is done." Regina exited the restroom and slowly made her way back over to the table with a tear-streaked face.

"Oh my god, Regina. We are so sorry, we didn't stop to think that maybe the test was a fluke. We didn't mean for things to turn out this way. Regina? Say something." Mary-Margaret shook Regina.

"No, it's okay. It…it's positive."

"What? What did you say?"

"Ahem, I said, the test was positive. You were right."

"What a relief! Aren't you excited? Why are you crying?"

"Well, Robin and I never really talked about any more children until he found what I thought was your pregnancy test. I told him I couldn't have any children after having such a hard time conceiving Henry. I, I could see the disappointment in his eyes, but he said our two boys was enough. What am I gonna do now?"

"Oh Regina. I'm sure he'll be ecstatic! How are you gonna tell him?" Regina still sat staring numbly off into the distance. Her reply still soft.

"I don't know, I have no idea. We hadn't exactly planned on this. What am I gonna do?"

"Hey, Regina, you already asked that."

"Emma! This is a delicate situation here," scolded Mary-Margaret.

"I know. Hey, look, Regina. We'll figure something out! I'm great at stuff like this! I mean, did you not see the awesome gift I got you?"

"I'm scared. I think I want to get checked out first to make sure everything is okay before I get Robin's hopes up."

"Sure, sure. Anything you need, let us know, okay? We'll be here for you." Mary-Margaret rubbed Regina's hand.

"Thanks. I'll have to wait until Monday to try to schedule an appointment. Do you think you guys can come with me?"

"If you make it before two thirty, I'll still be in school."

"If you make it after two thirty, I'll be at work. So it really just comes down to who you want to come with you."

"Okay. I'll just call to find out the first available and then let you know."

"Okay, sounds like a plan. You're gonna be okay, okay Regina?"

"Yes, yes I am. I'm, I'm pregnant!" Regina whispered, finally smiling.

* * *

I've seen some stories mention trigger warnings. I'm not exactly sure how that's supposed to work without exactly spoiling the next chapter. It's nothing too terribly sad, but just so you know there may be sensitive subject matter in the next chapter. I hope you're still enjoying!


	11. The Teddy Bear's Picnic

Hope everyone enjoyed their holiday. Now enjoy this!

* * *

Regina made it through the weekend and found herself waking earlier than usual on this Monday morning. Thanksgiving break was over and she had a time getting the boys back on their Sunday night routine. She knew their first Thanksgiving would be unforgettable, she planned it that way. What she hadn't planned on was why their Thanksgiving was unforgettable, and the only person it was truly unforgettable for was Regina. She was carrying a secret and she found it truly hurt her heart to not share it with Robin. She was pregnant. She. Was. Pregnant. She hadn't expected to find herself in this situation ever again. It had taken her three years of treatments to get pregnant with Henry. Henry was her little miracle baby. He made her and Daniel oh so blissfully happy. Their world revolved around Henry. They wanted to give him everything, and they did. She was content with the one child. Daniel wanted one more, a girl. He wanted a daddy's girl. Regina was reluctant to try again. She didn't want to go through all those treatments again. It stressed her out. Daniel was supportive and understood, but he still wanted her to take that chance, and so she did. They were on their second round of treatments when the doctor told them the good news, that Regina was pregnant again. They were ecstatic and yet, Regina was a little frightened. She couldn't shake this terrible feeling that something would go wrong. Daniel laughed it off to try to ease her concerns. He was like that. She was always the serious one and he was the happy go lucky one. They fit that way. Until one fateful early Monday morning such as this. She had woken with a start. A slight ache in her belly. She thought maybe her stomach was unsettled and she perhaps hadn't gotten through the morning sickness phase like she thought.

She decided to stay home that day and sent Daniel off to work. She'd drifted off to sleep sitting in the rocking chair in Henry's nursery. She was reading a book to him, she recalled. And then she felt something warm in her lap. The warmth woke her from her slumber. She looked down and saw her robe stained crimson read. She cried out, oh god, this couldn't be happening. This is what she was afraid of. After shedding a few tears she managed to call her doctor who told her to go immediately to the emergency room; that he would call ahead and wait for her there. Next, she called Daniel and he said he would meet her at the hospital. She grabbed Henry and shoved him in his car seat and headed off to the hospital. She checked in and they took her to the Labor and Delivery ward. She was there for an hour or so before she began to worry about what was taking Daniel so long. He should've been there by now. He wasn't. The doctor came to examine her. He asked if she wanted to wait for her husband to arrive. She shook her head no. She already knew. She didn't really need the doctor to tell her anything. She'd lost the baby. She waited and waited and no news from Daniel. She called to the nurse to see if she knew anything about the whereabouts of her husband. The nurse shook her head and offered to call the police department to see if they knew anything.

Two hours later found Daniel's partner, David, in her hospital room. She didn't understand what was going on. David tried to be delicate, but there was no easy way to tell her that Daniel had been involved in an accident on his way to the hospital. There was no easy way to tell Regina that her husband was gone. She collapsed into uncontrollable tears and David held her tight as she pounded her fists into his chest. Angry at the cruel god who would take both her unborn child and husband away from her in one day. David held her for an hour before the doctor came back in to make sure she hadn't lost too much blood. The doctor apologized for her loss and offered the services of a grief counselor. David shook his head, not now. David called his girlfriend, Mary-Margaret, to come and collect Henry while he stayed with Regina. That was the worst week of Regina's life. She swore to never love again. Her heart was broken. All she had left was Henry and everything she did was for him.

So strange it was nine years later to find herself stranded in a gas station parking lot, dressed in a plum dress with a plunging neckline waiting for a tow truck after yet another disastrous first date. Strange it was to have a dimple-faced British-accented sheriff deputy approach her and offer to keep her company. Strange it was to find herself snapping at him, afraid of his intentions, afraid of how instantly attracted to him she found herself. And how strange it was yet another year later to be married to him and to perhaps be carrying his child. It brought tears to her eyes. This is how Robin found Regina early that Monday morning.

"Hey love, what's wrong? Why are you crying? Are you hurt?" Robin tried to cuddle Regina close.

"No, I'm not hurt. These are happy tears."

"Well, I never thought of tears being happy."

"Oh, they are. I was just thinking about how far I've come since losing Daniel. About how I thought I'd never have this again and how truly grateful I am to have it. I hadn't realized how lonely and in need of love I was until I met you." She leaned over and gave Robin a passionate kiss. Robin returned the kiss with equal fervor and moved on to kiss her tears away. They stayed trading kisses with each other for a while before the alarm went off. They smiled into each other's lips before breaking apart and starting on their morning routine of getting dressed, feeding the boys breakfast and heading off to work and school.

Regina arrived to work an hour early to get started. She was eager to get work done as a means to distract herself from her thoughts. Time seemed to go on forever before the doctor's office opened so she could call and schedule an appointment. She hoped she could get a same day appointment. It would certainly take the stress off of not knowing what was going on with her body. Although, now that she thought about it, everything she'd been experiencing in the past few weeks began to click into place. She had been overly fatigued. She did eat strange food pairings. She was a little extra cranky. And there were those tampons she put in her purse that morning Robin suggested she wear her period clothes; tampons for a period that never started.

She pulled the next manuscript on her desk, took out her yellow high lighter and red pen and began to read. She liked doing corrections on paper. There was something wonderful about physically holding a book in her hand. This story was a science fiction story, not one of her favorite genres but it was interesting enough to distract her until the eight o'clock hour. Her secretary knocked on her office door to remind her of the morning meeting occurring in thirty minutes. Regina nodded her head in understanding and marked her place on the manuscript. She stood up and shut her office door so she could call the doctor's office and make her appointment. She sighed a little in disappointment about not getting a same day appointment. It would have to wait until Tuesday. She supposed that would be fine. Her phone buzzed.

 _Hey, just woke up, thought I'd see how you were doing. Any news on an appointment?_

 _Yeah, it's for Tuesday at 1000, think you can come?_

 _Me? Yeah, sure. If that's okay._

 _Well, it was the first available. I would prefer Mary-Margaret._

 _Thanks, that makes me feel better!_

 _Emma, don't. This is stressful enough for me. Just meet me at the office at 0830._

 _Alright, I'll be there._

Regina made it through the rest of her workday without too much fuss from her colleagues. They could tell she was in a mood. Whenever Regina was in a mood, everyone did their best to stay out of her way. It was quite amusing, she thought. She wasn't really all that bad. Ever since Daniel's death everyone treated her with delicate hands. She supposed she'd adopted a tough demeanor as a coping mechanism. It served her well. She wasn't sure how to exist without it. She furrowed her brow. Perhaps she should go see a therapist. One thing at a time though, first she needed to get through seeing the obstetrician.

* * *

If Monday morning had mad her nervous about getting an appointment, Tuesday found her on pins and needles and Robin a bit taken aback by his wife's behavior. Usually he tried to avoid Regina when she was in a mood because she was on her period. This behavior, however, wasn't her usual behavior when she was on her period. Maybe she was stressed about work. He wanted to do something to ease her troubled mind, but he didn't know what.

"Hey, Regina, what's going on with you?" Robin asked his wife while she was engrossed with which earrings she should wear with one of her new pantsuits.

"Oh, nothing," she let out a small sigh, having finally settled on a silver pair of studs.

"Nothing?" Robin nervously chuckled out. "I've seen you a bit neurotic before, but nothing like this. Are you okay? Are you stressed out about something? Tell me, please. I'm your husband, whatever it is, we can work through it, together." Regina let out a small chuckle and clasped her hand to his cheek. Oh how he picked up on her moods. She _had_ been out of sorts. She wasn't even sure she'd make it to her appointment time and wondered why she was even going to work. She needed the distraction. Robin rubbed her shoulders in an attempt to comfort her.

"Oh Robin, you're sweet. I, uh, I just have this manuscript I've been working on at work. The story is kind of having an effect on me."

"Oh? What's the story about?" Robin usually never wanted to discuss her manuscripts, but she supposed since this one was affecting her so.

"Um, it's about a woman whose, uh, whose husband passed away and she's learning to love again."

"Mmmm, kinda like us?"

"Yeah," she smiled. "Kinda like us. Now then, do you think you can finish up with the boys? I want to get in early to the office and get back to editing the manuscript. I'm really excited about it and want to get it out to press as soon as possible." She dropped a kiss on Robin's cheek and headed to peek in on the boys before heading out the door to work.

Regina got into her car and sat for a moment. She wasn't quite sure that she really wanted to go in the office just yet. It was early in the morning, but perhaps Emma was awake. Emma usually required two hours to properly wake herself up. Perhaps Regina could swing by the local donut shop and pick up some coffee and bear claws as an apology for waking Emma up so early. She knew she wouldn't really be able to concentrate on work given the state she was in. Regina pulled over to the donut shop and got Emma a large coffee with two bear claws and got herself peppermint tea with a slice of pumpkin bread. Soon, she found herself seated in her car outside of Emma's apartment building looking like a stalker.

"Get it together, Regina," she scolded herself. She gathered the coffee and sweets, and her bags and headed up the two flights of stairs that brought her to Emma's apartment. She knocked, once, twice, three times for good measure. After a few moments, the door swung open to reveal a towel-clad Killian Jones.

"Regina! To what do I owe this early morning pleasure? You know I'm a taken man, right? But if Emma and I decide to split up, I'll be sure to keep your number in my back pocket."

"Lovely. I'm actually here to see Emma. I was hoping she was awake?" The door swung a little further open to Emma dressed only in a plaid shirt, her hair a mess.

"Hey Regina. I thought I was picking you up at eight thirty. What are you doing here at seven?"

"I um, I brought you coffee and bear claws," Regina said as she pushed her way into the apartment. She set her items down on the coffee table and planted herself on the sofa.

"Sure, why don't you come on in and make yourself comfortable?" Emma shut the door and Killian went back to the bedroom, hopefully to get dressed. Emma followed Killian back to the bedroom and put on a pair of sweatpants and rejoined Regina on the sofa. She grabbed the coffee and started putting cream and sugar in it. She took a taste sip to be sure it was to her liking. She took a bite of the bear claw and sat back against the sofa and addressed Regina. "So, again I'll ask. What are you doing here at seven?"

"I'm sorry, I'm just really freaked about my appointment," Regina whispered to Emma. She didn't want Killian to overhear their conversation.

"Uh-huh, I see. Well, I don't know what you expect me to do. Thanks for the coffee and bear claw," Emma said as she finished off the bear claw and picked a couple of pieces off the second one. She thought about giving that one to Killian. He wouldn't mind a picked over piece. Killian walked back out fully clothed 15 minutes later. He greeted the two women.

"Ladies. Guess I'll head out now, Emma. I'll see you when you get off shift, kay?"

"Yeah, look forward to it. Here, Regina brought you a bear claw."

"I see, thanks, love." And with that Killian left the apartment and left the two women alone.

"Regina, there is nothing to be worried about. Everything will be fine!"

"You can't know that for sure."

"What are you talking about? You're the healthiest health nut I know! You do everything by the book. What's brought this on? You were fine on Friday."

"Not many people know this, but I've had trouble getting pregnant. I went through many treatments before I was able to conceive Henry. Then, when Henry was two, me and my husband, Daniel, we – he wanted another child. I was terrified. I didn't want to go through all that again, but Daniel was so excited about the prospect of a daddy's girl. We got pregnant on the second round, but about 2 months in, I miscarried."

"Oh, Regina, I am so sorry!"

"And the day I was in the hospital receiving what I thought was the most devastating news of my life, David came to tell me that Daniel had been involved in an accident on his way to meet me at the hospital. I lost both my baby and husband in one day," Regina finished off the Cliff's notes version in a sad gurgling mess of tears. She was definitely pregnant, giving over to emotional vulnerability. Or perhaps she'd never actually dealt with the death of Daniel and her baby. Emma pulled Regina into a hug and rubbed circles on her back. Emma wasn't quite sure what else to do. Regina held onto her tight for at least five minutes, sobbing until she had no more tears to cry.

"Oh Regina. I don't know what to do here, babe. I can't promise that everything will be okay, but I have this gut feeling it will be. My gut's never wrong. For instance, my gut told me that even though on the surface you seem like an uptight bitch, I should give you a chance. And you're actually a great person with a great big ol' heart and I wouldn't trade you or our years of friendship for anything in the world. Not even for the few hours of sleep you just cost me." Regina let out a small chuckle. Perhaps it was a good thing Emma was coming with her to the appointment.

"Well, Ms. Swan, I thank you for your friendship and allowing me to barge in a few hours before you were ready to be awake. Now, go get dressed while I clean up my face." Emma sat back and offered Regina a small smile before heading to the bedroom to shower and dress for what was sure to be an eventful morning.

* * *

Nine o'clock found Emma and Regina seated in the waiting room, filling out paperwork. Insurance information, drug allergies, height, weight, reason for visit. It was all overwhelming. She couldn't believe it. She was pregnant and she was scared shitless. The nurse called Regina back. Emma stayed seated until Regina gave her a most pitiful, frightened look. She got the hint and got up to follow Regina and the nurse back to an exam room. They stopped by a side room in the front to get Regina's weight and for her to give a urine sample. They proceeded to the exam room and Regina changed into an examination gown. They sat in the room for fifteen minutes, reading through magazines waiting for the doctor. Finally, a knock on the door.

"Good morning Miss, Regina Hood? How are you? I am Dr. Kayla Campbell. What brings you in today?" The doctor asked as she flipped through the papers on Regina's chart.

"Well, I, I uh, took a home pregnancy test and it was positive."

"Oh, congratulations! Was this a planned pregnancy?"

"Well, not exactly."

"Oh, I see. Is this a wanted pregnancy?"

"Yes, yes, very much so. I'm just worried. I thought I couldn't get pregnant unless I underwent fertility treatments. That's how I was able to have my first child."

"Mmmhmm, I see. Well, we can certainly take a look see to make sure everything is going fine. Do you know when your last menstrual period was? So we can have an idea of how far along you are?" Dr. Campbell asked as she put on exam gloves and motioned for Regina to lie back on the table.

"Um, you know, I'm not actually sure. I've been walking around with tampons in my purse for a couple of weeks and never realized I hadn't gotten my period yet. Maybe, maybe two months that I haven't gotten it?"

"Ok, we can work with that. Well, you're not really showing here. But if you're at least eight weeks, we can go ahead and set up an ultrasound, okay?"

"Um, yeah, that would be great. I, um, also I've had a miscarriage. My, my second pregnancy. I had a miscarriage."

"I see, do you know how far long you were?"

"Yeah, I was about ten weeks."

"Okay, well I'll check with my ultrasound tech to see if she can squeeze you in the back. Given your history I'd like to monitor you more closely, okay? Be back in a jiffy."

Dr. Campbell was able to get Regina seen for an ultrasound. Regina held Emma's hand the entire time. The ultrasound tech, Miranda, dimmed the lights and warmed the conducting gel. She squeezed some onto Regina's lower abdomen and focused the transducer to pull up a grainy black and white picture. She took measurements. And towards the end, she offered Regina a wide grin and asked, "are you ready for this?" Regina turned to the screen and nodded her head. Miranda turned a couple of knobs and the sound of galloping hooves filled the room.

"That's your baby's heartbeat. It's strong. Baby looks good. I'll print out some images for you, okay? You can get dressed and I'll meet you out in the hallway." Miranda tossed her a towel to wipe off the gel and left the room.

"See? Told ya everything would be alright!" Emma helped Regina sit up and hand her her clothes.

"Yeah, but it's still early. Anything can go wrong."

"You can't live your life that way Regina. Be positive! Your life is going great! You've got a new husband and now a new, healthy baby on the way. Nothing will go wrong. And for every time you say something will go wrong, you will have to buy me a coffee and bear claw. I will hold you to that." Regina let out another chuckle as she finished getting dressed. They exited the room into the hallway to find Dr. Campbell and Miranda.

"Ah, Regina. I looked over the images and your baby looks great, okay? Don't worry about anything. Here are your images and some informational pamphlets. And you look to be about eleven weeks. Does that sound good to you?"

"Um, yeah, I suppose. Thanks for everything." Regina took the pamphlets and the ultrasound images that she couldn't help but stare at. She felt Emma nudge her in the side and turned to see the blonde grinning, "What?"

"Eleven weeks, Regina? As in eleven weeks ago Robin took you on a romantic two week get away?"

Regina's eyes went wide, "Ah, so it was." Regina let out a chuckle.

"Soooo, how are you going to tell Robin?"

"Hmm, I haven't thought about it, actually. Do you have any ideas?"

"Maybe. Let's go to the bookstore! We can get him "What to Expect When You're Expecting"! You can make him a nice dinner and give him the book as a present, it'll be great!"

"Hmmm, I suppose that would work."

Emma drove Regina to the mall and they headed for the bookstore. Regina picked up the book Emma suggested. It was a newer edition than the one Daniel had gotten her when she was pregnant with Henry. She also vaguely recalled a book that Daniel read throughout her pregnancy, 'The Expectant Father'. Regina scanned the bookshelf for the book and added it to her basket. Then she wondered over to the Children's Books section of the store. Daniel loved books. He'd bought so many for Henry. He even wanted Henry to have his prized comic book collection. Regina thought this new baby needed a book collection of their own. She couldn't help but think this was her second chance. A gift from God, a gift from Daniel. That gave her somewhat a peace of mind. Her eyes drifted over the books displayed on the table and they fell upon a cute little book that Daniel read, well, sang to Henry when he was younger. She laughed at the memory. They read out of that book so often that she had to throw it out because it was so badly damaged. Her eyes welled up slightly and she felt Emma approach from behind.

"Hey Regina, did you find it?"

"Yeah, yeah I did. Got some other books too."

"You did? What else did you get?"

"I got 'The Expectant Father'. I think that would be a more appropriate book for Robin. And I also found this one," Regina held up the book she was looking at for Emma to see.

"Oh wow, I didn't know this was a book."

"Yes, yes it is. Daniel would read this to Henry every night before bed. I had to throw out our copy because it was so badly damaged. I think this baby needs their own copy, don'tcha think?" Emma smiled at Regina.

"Yeah, yeah it does. Whadya say we get outta here? We can grab lunch in the food court and I get to head to work."

"Yeah, that sounds great." Regina placed the copy of 'The Teddy Bear's Picnic' in her basket and the two women headed to the checkout counter.

* * *

And did you catch tonight's ep? O.M.G.


	12. A Secret Between Lovers

Regina drove to work after she and Emma ate unhealthy food at the food court. She was on cloud nine now that she let the news sink in that she was really, actually truly pregnant. Her mind drifted to the baby and how her family's life will forever be changed. Her mind drifted to letting herself hope that everything with this baby would be okay. She was almost to the end of the first trimester. She'd made it that far with the last baby. She shed a few tears thinking back to that fateful day. She scolded herself. She decided that maybe she should see her therapist, Dr. Hopper. She'd only seen him three times after Daniel died and the miscarriage. She thought she was okay and didn't need to talk to him anymore. She spent her days sitting in Henry's nursery watching him play. Oh how he reminded her so much of Daniel. His smile, his curiosity, his obsession with that darn Teddy Bear's Picnic book. It made her heart break to listen to Henry in is two year old voice try to sing the song. In a way she was grateful that if Henry needed to lose his father, it was while he was so young and couldn't understand the loss. Of course when Henry got older and he asked questions she tried her best to explain things to him. He never quite understood and it never really bothered him. He was surrounded by so many people who loved him that it made up for not having his father around.

Regina thought long and hard about how she wanted to surprise Robin with the news. The books were gag gift style – more of Emma's speed. She needed something uniquely Regina. She eventually decided on a private dinner at home. Perhaps Mary-Margaret could keep the boys. They could spend the night wither and she could just take them to school in the morning. She sent her a text message.

 _Hey Mare, can the boys spend the night with you?_

 _Of course! Did everything go okay?_

 _Yeah, everything's fine. I think I've worked up the courage to accept this. I want to surprise Robin and I want tonight to be special, just the two of us._

 _Oh, how sweet. You need anything, anything at all, let me know._

 _Great. I do have one favor. Please keep this to yourself. I'm not ready to share this with anyone. I want to wait a little while before we tell the boys._

 _You don't have to worry about a thing, Regina. Your secret's safe with me! When do you want me to get the boys?_

 _Actually, can you take them home with you? I'll drop a suitcase off. I'm going to leave the office now._

 _Okey dokes!_

Regina shut down her computer, gathered her things and informed her secretary she would be leaving for the day and would return to the office the following morning at nine o' clock. She had a lot of things to do that afternoon and not a lot of time to do them.

The lights were dim. That was the first thing Robin noticed when he walked into the house at six in the evening. He hung his coat in the hall closet. Silence. That was the second thing Robin noticed. Perhaps no one was home. He walked up the stairs and into the dining room. The table was set for dinner and there were those white tapered candles Regina put out for special occasions. Or romantic dinners. He wasn't sure what to think.

"Regina?" He called out to her.

"Hey dear! I'm in the kitchen. Have a seat and I'll be there in a few moments. Why don't you pour yourself a drink while you wait." Robin headed to the wet bar and poured himself a brandy and took a seat at the table. It wasn't long before Regina came into the dining area, carrying her lasagna. It was his favorite dish of hers, aside from her apple pies. She made it for him as her first home-cooked meals date. He grinned at her.

"To what do I owe this pleasure? Are the boys here?"

"No, there's no one here but us. I hope this evening will be filled with pleasurable surprises," she purred out in a husky voice. Robin's pants seemed to tighten a little bit. He wasn't quite sure what Regina had planned out or why she picked a school night for an unplanned date night, but he was curious to where it might lead and how long the evening would last before the boys came home. "Now, eat up, I've got a lot planned for the evening." Regina cut slices into the lasagna and served Robin first. She plated out salad and breadsticks. They ate in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Robin attempted conversation.

"So, how was your day? Did you get very far with your manuscript?"

"What manuscript?" Regina managed out between bites of lasagna and breadstick.

"You know, the romantic one you were telling me about this morning, you were so enthralled."

"Oh, that one. Um, I had to table that. We had a lot of meetings this morning. I was exhausted so I came home early. I thought we could use an evening together. You don't mind, do you?"

"No, not at all. This is nice. We should have date nights more often." Robin took another bite of his lasagna and reached for his brandy to take another swig

"What about you, how was your day? Arrest anyone?"

Robin chuckled, "No, I didn't arrest anyone. I was helping a damsel in distress. She was waiting for a tow truck"

Regina's eyes widened and she stared hard at Robin, obviously not amused. She told him as much.

"I am not amused."

"Oh come on Regina, it's just a joke. Now what's for dessert?"

"Don't try to get out of it, no I will just eat the apple pie all by myself," and with that she stood up and headed for the kitchen. Once there, she took the slightly warm pie off the cooling rack and cut herself a slice before heading back to the dining room table. Robin sat there with his mouth open. He watched her take a bite before speaking.

"Are you really not gonna let me have any pie?" She shook her head no as she licked her spoon.

"You are more than welcome to get your own pie, oh knight in shining armor that goes around rescuing damsels in distress." Robin stood up and went to the kitchen to cut his own slice of pie, two could play this game. He went back to the dining room where he and Regina finished their apple pie in silence. Regina finished first and sat back against her chair and stared hard at Robin while he finished eating. Her romantic plans for the evening had suddenly derailed. She pursed her lips while she waited for him to finish; to make sure he was looking at her. When he put the last bite of pie in his mouth, she collected her dishes and took them to the kitchen, rinsed them off and placed them in the dishwasher. Robin continued sitting at the table for a moment before he too, collected his dishes and followed her into the kitchen, rinsed his dishes and placed them in the dishwasher. Regina returned to the dining area and grabbed the lasagna dish and salad bowl and brought those into the kitchen. She covered the lasagna, placed it in the refrigerator and dumped the remaining salad into a Ziploc baggie. Robin could only stand at the counter, confused by his wife's actions. After she covered the leftover apple pie, he reached out and grabbed her arm.

"Hey, what's gotten into you? It was only a joke."

"Well I already told you it wasn't funny. I had a special evening planned for us and you ruined it," she said almost in tears.

"Ruined it how?"

"By bringing up how we first met as if it were some joke. As if it hadn't been me stranded waiting for a tow truck, it would've been someone else you asked out. And we wouldn't be here, living this life right now. And, and…" She drifted off not finishing her statement, not looking Robin in the eye for fear of bursting into tears. She knew she was being silly and that he was joking but tonight was serious. Tonight she was all nerves, there wasn't room for jokes. Robin reached out to rub her arms. She shivered and turned from him.

"Hey, hey. What's going on in that head of yours? Why don't we start over, hmm?" Regina slowly shook her head. "Is that a yes?" She nodded her head more furtively.

"Okay, good. My day was boring. Nothing special happened. How about yours?" Regina turned back in his arms and inhaled sharply.

"I went to the doctor today." Robin paused his rubbing of Regina's arms.

"You did? Is everything okay? I mean, you have been throwing up a lot lately. You told me you didn't want to go to the doctor. Is it serious?" Regina smiled.

"Follow me." She started towards the stairs. Robin paused for a moment. Regina turned back after she made it up a few steps and noticed Robin still hadn't followed. "Well, aren't you coming?"

"I'm not sure, do I want to come?"

"I think so." She resumed her ascent and Robin headed towards the stairs. He followed her all the way up. They went past Henry and Roland's room. They went past the master bedroom. She headed straight for her office at the end of the hall. She pushed the door open and motioned for him to follow her inside.

"What's going on here? I thought this room was off limits for 'couple stuff'." Regina turned and smirked at Robin. She was more confident.

"Well, it is because of 'couple stuff' we're in here."

"We, we're gonna do 'couple stuff' in your forbidden office?" Regina bit her lip. She handed Robin the gift bag sitting on the table.

"Oooo, naughty things in here?" Robin asked as he gave the bag a little shake. He was hoping for another lingerie set that she would model for him for a few minutes before he ever so delicately ripped it from her body.

"Go on, open it! I hope you like it." Robin set the bag down her desk and bit his lip in anticipation. He opened the bag and pulled out the first item. It was a picture frame with a grainy black and white photo that looked suspiciously like an ultrasound photograph.

"Regina, what's going on?"

"Nothing, go on, there's more," she prodded. Next he pulled out the onesie Emma had gotten Regina in an attempt to tell her that she was the one pregnant and not Mary-Margaret. The last item was the book she'd picked out, 'The Expectant Father'.

"Regina, are, are you?" Regina let out a big grin and shook her head.

"Yes, yes, I'm pregnant," she finally said as she threw her arms around Robin, unable to contain her joy. Robin on the other hand just stood there. She pulled her arms back. "Robin? Robin, is something wrong? I thought, I thought you'd be happy." She questioned now sounding slightly disappointed. She thought she would be the uneasy one about all of this. She thought Robin would be like Daniel, overly excited and overly caring and overly supportive and everything she was too scared to be during a pregnancy. "Robin, please, say something, you're, you're scaring me. I don't know what to do here." After a few moments, Robin's mouth started to move up and down and eventually a sound could be heard.

"We, you, we – " he gasped out. Regina placed her hands on his shoulders to steady him and force him to look at her. "You're pregnant?" He finally managed. She nodded her head.

"Yes, I'm pregnant. Eleven weeks. Is this okay?"

"I thought, I thought you couldn't have kids."

"So did I. I guess this is meant to be."

"You went to the doctor today? Is everything alright, is the baby okay? Are you, are you okay?" She shook her head again and threw her arms around his neck and pulled him close, needing to have him close.

"Yes, everything's great, it's fine." Robin encircled Regina and hugged her close.

"Other than our wedding day, I think today is the happiest you've ever made me." Robin bent to pick Regina up and let her slide back down through his arms to the floor. She laughed as Robin bent forward to capture her lips in a gentle kiss. They stared into each other's eyes for a few moments. Regina was the first to move, to speak.

"So, I uh, I was thinking, maybe we need to redecorate this room. Wouldn't you say so?" Robin took her hands in his before responding.

"It would indeed seem so."

* * *

Hey, so what are you guys thinking? Still enjoying the story? Reviews are awesome!


	13. Men of Snow

It was the second week of December and Roland was playing upstairs in his bedroom with LEGOs. It was a quiet afternoon in the Hood-Mills home. Roland was all done with his homework and his mommy Regina said he could play quietly while she worked on dinner. That was fine with him. He wanted to play with Henry but Henry had his door shut. Roland didn't really like it when Henry shut his door, but his dad told him sometimes Henry needed privacy just like sometimes daddy and Regina needed privacy. Roland didn't need privacy. He needed someone to play with. He wanted to go outside and play but it was nearing sunset and the temperature had dropped. It was that time of year. His father got home usually around six in the evening which was long after the sun went down during this time of year. So here Roland was playing Robin Hood with his LEGOs all alone. It was much better when they all played together, but he had a big enough imagination. Emma had given him the LEGO set for his fifth birthday. That was a wonderful day, he thought. All his friends from school came. They had beanie weenies because that was Roland's favorite dish. They also had cake and ice cream and a clown. Never had he been so happy. He had his dad and he had Henry and his mommy Regina. He never knew much about is mommy Lydia. His dad often told him stories about her, showed him pictures of them together when he was a baby, but he didn't quite understand. He knew he didn't have both a mommy and a daddy like other kids in his class and while that made him sad sometimes, he was overall happy with just him and his dad. That was until one fateful night at soccer practice.

It was an unusually windy evening for soccer practice. None of the usual baby sitters could keep Roland so Robin was forced to bring his young son along. Sometimes Robin worried about keeping Roland occupied while he tried to help coach the youth soccer team. One of the players, Henry, had taken a liking to the young boy. He was actually the one who gave Roland the idea to collect the errant soccer balls around the field during practice. Henry was down at the goal practicing goal kicks and had missed a few shots going over the top of the goal. He was working really hard at not having so much air under the ball, but the wind wasn't helping. He sent a ball flying over to the side and called out to the little boy trailing far behind the assistant coach just in time for it to miss him. Roland paused and turned to see the ball fly right past his head. Henry freaked for a moment, fearing the ball had hit the little boy. He ran over to him to make sure he was okay.

"Hey, you're Roland, right? Robin's kid?" The little boy looked up shyly at Henry.

"Yeah, that's my dad!"

"Cool. Did the ball hit you?"

Roland shook his head, "Nope. Was it supposed to?" Henry chuckled. The little kid clearly had no idea what soccer was.

"No, it wasn't. It would hurt if it did. I have an idea. You wanna help out?" Roland shook his head yes so fast Henry feared it would fall off. "How about you go collect the balls from around the track? Then we can set them up over here and practice with them?" Roland shook his head again and took off for the balls that Henry had overshot. A few minutes later Roland collected the balls and brought them over to where Henry was.

"Now what?"

"Now we kick!" Both boys took turns kicking soccer balls towards the goal. Sometimes Roland would have to go chase one, but that was alright. It beat following his dad around. They kicked the balls around for a little while longer before the head coach, Will, called the boys in to end practice. Roland scurried right behind Henry. After a quick huddle all the boys scattered towards the bleachers looking for their parents. Henry lagged behind a little, his mom wasn't there yet. She didn't always make it to practice but sometimes Emma would come. Tonight though, he had to wait for Regina to show up.

"Aren't you going to go find your dad?" The little boy asked Henry. Henry paused for a moment, not quite sure how to address the question to a young child. It was a question he had to deal with ever since he started school and it never got any easier to answer.

"No, I'm gonna wait for my mom. My dad is in Heaven." Henry watched the young boy's face furrow.

"Is he in Heaven like my mommy? Do you think they are friends in Heaven?" Henry let out a small chuckle. He ruffled Roland's hair.

"Yeah kid, they're both in Heaven having a good time. My name's Henry, what's yours?"

"I'm Roland," said the little boy, letting out a giggle. Henry grabbed one of the soccer balls, placed it on the field and kicked it around with Roland until he saw his mother approach the fence and wave her hand at him.

"Okay Roland, my mom's here. I have to go now," Henry stopped the soccer ball and kicked it back over towards the other balls.

"Okay. Hey Henry?"

"Yeah Roland?"

"Do you think your mommy could be my mommy too?" Henry paused for a moment, thinking. He knew his mom had recently started dating, with encouragement from his Aunt Mary-Margaret. He hadn't considered playing matchmaker himself. Perhaps that wasn't a bad idea at all.

"I don't know Roland. We'll have to be sneaky about it, okay? I'll think of something," and with that Henry picked up his duffel bag and ran over to where his mother waiting by the fence.

Roland was getting bored with his LEGOs and a little bit hungry. Today's afternoon snack had been apples with peanut butter and slices of cheese. With the afternoon spent playing LEGOs all that food had been burned up. With one last 'hiyah' from the LEGO figurines, Roland abandoned his toys on the floor of his room in search of another adventure. He wandered into the hallway in hopes of finding Henry's room door open. It was still shut. Roland headed the other way down the hall, towards Regina's office. Sometimes when Regina was working in her office, she would let Roland sit on the floor underneath her desk to color or to make paper airplanes. He decided his next adventure would be into Regina's office to get paper for paper airplanes. The door was shut, but that didn't deter his efforts. He pushed the door open and frowned. There were bed-sheets covering the furniture and all the pictures and paintings Regina had placed on the wall were sitting on the floor. He thought Regina liked the macaroni picture of the sun. She even said so. She brought a frame and everything and here it was sitting on the floor. He started crying just a little. He left the room, his adventure to find paper for paper planes forgotten. He went back down the hall and opened Henry's door. Henry was laying down on the bed, headphones on and a comic book in hand. He was supposed to be doing homework.

"Henry. Hennnnryyyy," Roland whined. Henry pulled his headphones off and sat up on the bed.

"Roland, you're supposed to knock!"

"I know, I'm sorry," Roland was so worked up the tears that welled in his eyes were now starting to fall. Henry put his comic book down and approached the small boy.

"Hey Ro, what's wrong?"

"Mommy took down all the pictures."

"What pictures?"

"The pictures in the office. Come look." Roland pulled Henry by the hand towards the office.

"Roland you know you're not supposed to go in there without mom," scolded Henry.

"I know, but I needed paper for airplanes!" Roland replied as he pushed the door open to show Henry how Regina had taken all the photos down.

"Oh Ro, they're gonna paint. Mommy didn't want your pictures to get messed up. See?" Henry picked up the paint can.

"Why is she painting? Can we paint? Why won't she let us do arts and crafts with her?"

"Um, because this is her office. It's not arts and crafts. Do you wanna go and see if dinner is ready?" Henry turned to head out of the office and down the hall.

"I guess so. What if she's not done? She calls us for dinner. I'm bored Henry," Roland whined as he followed Henry down the hall. Both boys entered the kitchen. The empty kitchen. The crockpot was on and whatever Regina had used to prepare dinner was either in the sink or the dishwasher. She liked to clean while she cooked.

"Mom!" Henry called out. No answer. "Stay right here Roland, I'll go check outside."

"Ohhh kay." Roland looked down at his feet before sulking over to the kitchen table, pulled out a chair and sat down. Henry went to the front door and pulled it open. The sight before his eyes was the moment he had been waiting for since the weather had turned last week. It was snowing. After being stunned for a few moments he refocused his efforts to locate his mom. There she was, out in the yard, with Robin. Robin had Regina in his arms. He spun her around a couple of times before placing her back down and kissing her. Henry was a little grossed out, but he thought it sweet. He stared for a few moments more before calling out to the couple.

"Hey mom! Robin! We've been looking for you!" Robin and Regina turned to look at Henry standing on the porch. They both smiled and chuckled before walking over to him.

"Oh, sorry Henry. I'm afraid I convinced your mom to come outside and enjoy the first snowfall with me."

"That's alright, we were just worried. Especially Roland."

"Well, where is he?"

"He's inside, sulking. He saw where you'd taken all the pictures down in your office. He thought you didn't like them anymore."

"Oh, poor Roland. Why don't you go get him and both of you put on coats, gloves and hats and come play in the snow with us?" Regina suggested to Henry. Henry turned to re-enter the house.

"Hey Ro! Come on! They're outside! It's snowing!"

"Really? It is?"

"Yeah! Now come on! Hurry up!"

"Hennnnry! Wait for me!" Roland ran to join Henry in the foyer. Henry was almost done putting on his winter outer wear by the time Roland came. He finished dressing and then helped Roland. Finally both boys were dressed and ready to head outside. Henry pulled open the front door and allowed Roland to pass before him. Roland's eyes lit up at the sight of snow. His mouth dropped open to try to catch the still falling flakes.

"Boys! Come on out! We're building a snowman!"

"Come help us!" The two boys looked at each other for a moment before tearing down the stairs and heading towards their parents who had already placed the base for the snowman they were building and were already working on another section. Roland tried to scoop up as much snow as he could in his little hands before walking over to the snowman and dropping it on to the snowball Robin and Regina were working on. Not a whole lot of snow made it onto the ball, but that was alright. Robin and Regina rolled the second section they were working on around the yard a little bit before lifting it on top of the base. Henry was already working on the head portion and brought it over to his parents. Robin placed the head on top. The family of four took a step back to admire their work.

"Now it needs decorations!" Roland announced. Everyone laughed.

"Well, I suppose it does. Why don't we go back in the house and see what we can find?" Regina suggested. They all walked back towards the house. They stopped just outside the front door to knock off as much snow as they could before stepping inside to the foyer. Regina started taking off layers before following Roland into the kitchen.

"What kind of decorations were you thinking of, Ro?"

"Um, we need a carrot for the nose. And a hat! And a scarf! And we need stuff for a eyes, a mouth and buttons! Do we have some of that stuff?" Regina looked down at Roland for a moment while she thought about the requested items.

"Well, we do have carrots that we can use and a scarf. I don't really have any hats. Why don't we call Aunt Mare? Hmmm? She likes to wear hats," Regina suggested as she picked up the phone. It wasn't a long phone call before she turned to speak to Roland. "Auntie Mare says they'll be here shortly. Now, why don't we sit down and eat dinner? I made beef vegetable stew." The boys sat down at the table while Robin carried over the crockpot to the table and Regina retrieved bowls from the cabinet and spoons from the drawer.

"So, how was everyone's day? Did you two boys have a good day at school?" Regina asked as she spooned out stew into bowls and passed them around the table. Roland nodded his head yes as Regina set the bowl down in front of him. "Let's use our words, okay Roland? Did you finish up your homework?"

"Uh-huh. And then I went to play with Henry, but he shut his door for privacy. Then I went to the office for paper. And you tooked all the pictures off the wall." Regina paused in her serving of stew, not sure how to remedy Roland's hurt feelings. Robin and Regina still weren't sure how to inform their two boys that they were going to be big brothers. She was feeling anxious about the pregnancy and so to ease her mind, she thought remodeling her office would be the best place to start. To help her accept that she was pregnant and that this pregnancy would make it to term.

"Well Roland, you know you're not supposed to go in there unless mommy goes with you. She has important things in there," Robin reminded Roland.

"But I'm always careful!"

"Yes you are, but those are really special things in there and I don't want to take any chances, okay? And we're just redoing the office. I thought a nice change of color on the wall was needed."

"But why can't I help?"

"Because it's special paint. It's not like the paint at school, okay? Next time you get someone to help you okay? Now, no more questions about Regina's office. We need to finish dinner before Mary-Margaret gets here, okay?" Robin chimed in. He could tell Regina was getting a little flustered. Roland nodded his head and started in on his stew. The rest of dinner went relatively quiet. Regina offered seconds. She was still a bit hungry but didn't want to appear greedy. No one else wanted any so she asked them to clear off the table while she spooned out a little more stew.

"Hey mom, can we watch some tv while we wait for Mary-Margaret to get here?"

"Yeah sure. You boys are all done with your homework, right?"

"Yeah! We're all done!" Regina gave a nod of her head and the two boys ran to the den to settle themselves for a bit of tv time. Robin came to stand behind Regina and placed his hands on her shoulders while she finished off the last two bites of stew.

"We really need to discuss when we're going to tell them. We can't remodel your office too much without tipping them off. You can't keep Roland out of there for nine months." Regina sighed.

"I know, I know. It's just, this doesn't seem real. I just want to do little things, like painting the office walls. Maybe buy a stuff animal here and there. I mean, I know I'm pregnant. I know there's a tiny little person growing inside of me, but I'm also worried."

"Regina, I know you're worried, but you don't have to be. I'm here, share some of that with me. Tell me, why exactly are you worried?"

"Robin, you know why. I'm terribly freaked out that I'll lose the baby. I wanna wait 'til the next appointment. I'll let myself have hope then. I don't wanna jinx anything. I don't want to risk losing all of this," Regina sniffled a little bit. While her morning sickness had eased up, her emotional sensitivity didn't seem to be letting up anytime soon. Robin pulled the chair out next to her, sat down and took her hands in his.

"Okay, I think I understand. You're afraid. I will be brave for both of us. We can wait until the next appointment before we tell them." Robin rubbed her hands.

"Hey, why don't we tell them at Christmas? Why don't we tell everyone at Christmas?"

"What? Are you serious?"

"Yeah! It'll be great! We can get multiple ultrasound photos and put them in frames and give them as gifts. Just for our closest friends and the boys. What do you think of that?" Robin pursed his lips for a moment, considering her offer before he responded.

"Uh yeah, yeah, that sounds great." Regina pulled her hands from Robin's.

"You don't like my idea?"

"Well, it's okay. Won't it take away from the Christmas celebration? Can we do it before or maybe after? Can't we tell the boys first?" Regina smirked at Robin.

"You really wanna tell them first? Can we trust them to keep it a secret until we're ready to tell everyone else?" Robin bit his lower lip and nodded. Regina let out another sigh. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay," Regina nodded. Robin pulled Regina onto her feet so they could join the boys in the den. She was a little nervous. She felt a little caught off guard and unprepared and that made her a little antsy. She liked to be prepared, especially for such a big announcement as she was about to make. They walked into the den and shut the tv off.

"Boys, can we talk to you for a minute?" Robin started off. Henry and Roland sat up from the floor to look at their parents.

 _Ding dong_

Regina sighed and looked at Robin.

"I supposed that's Mary-Margaret and David." Regina stepped towards the door and Robin followed. Regina leaned in to whisper to Robin, "Saved by the bell. I don't think I'm quite ready yet to tell the boys," she finished off as the door swung open to reveal the Nolans.

"Tell the boys what?" Mary-Margaret asked as she stepped inside and held up a bag filled with what Regina assumed were the requested decorations.

"Yeah, tell us what?" Henry asked as he walked up behind Robin and Regina.

"Oh, that you might not make it in time with the decorations," Regina eyed Mary-Margaret cautiously, a warning of sorts to not pursue the current conversation.

"Right, it is a school night after all. We won't be able to stay long." Mary-Margaret stepped further into the foyer to allow David and Neal inside. "Hey David, why don't all of you boys head outside and finish the snowman? I think I smell Regina's beef stew and I would love some. Come on, Regina let's go have some stew." David cocked his head and nodded.

"Ok, let me get my coat on. Henry, Roland, put on your coats and let's go outside."

Once the front door shut, Regina turned to give Mary-Margaret a hug. They stood like that for a moment before Mary-Margaret realized Regina was crying. Mary-Margaret pulled back to look at her friend.

"Hey, Regina, what's going on? Did we interrupt something?" Regina wiped her eyes and headed into the kitchen. Mary-Margaret followed.

"We, we were about to tell the boys about the baby."

"Well, that's great! Isn't it? Why are you upset about that?"

"Well, I'm not, but, it's just…I don't know. I'm still afraid something bad might happen. I don't want to get their hopes up about having a little brother or sister and then I lose the baby. I don't know how to tell Robin. I've told him I want to wait until the second appointment in a few weeks, but he's so excited. What am I supposed to do?" Mary-Margaret nodded her head in understanding and pulled Regina into another hug.

"He may be excited but if this is a real concern of yours Regina, you have to help him understand. Maybe he thinks this is just nerves. Maybe this is something you guys can talk about after you put the boys to bed. Right now, why don't we go outside and help decorate the snowman?" Regina nodded her head and followed Mary-Margaret back to the foyer and dressed in coat, hat and gloves. Mary-Margaret opened the door and pulled Regina out onto the porch. It was a sight to see their boys engaged in a snowball fight, the first casualty apparently the snowman. Mary-Margaret let out a soft chuckle. Regina shook her head. They both pulled out their cellphones and snapped a couple of photos before jogging down the steps to join in on the fun. For a few moments Regina let herself relax and enjoy the happiness that life was giving her.


	14. First Impressions

Another installment for you!

* * *

It was Winter Break. Fortunately Mary-Margaret was a teacher and for the eighth year in a row she had the pleasure of keeping Henry for Regina while she worked. This year, she also had the company of Roland. It was early in the morning when Robin had dropped the boys off. So early in the morning that they were still very sleepy boys. Mary-Margaret placed Roland in her bed next to a sleeping Neal and Henry slept on the sofa. David was getting dressed and she headed over to the kitchen area to make him some scrambled eggs and toast. She plated the food on two plates, one for her and one for David. She didn't always get to eat breakfast with him due to her school schedule. She sat down at the table and started eating. David would be out soon.

"Hey, breakfast with my lovely wife! To what do I owe this honor?" David asked as he leaned over for a bite of toast before sitting down.

"Well, I was just thinking how we don't always get to have breakfast together. I was up to receive the boys from Robin and thought, wouldn't it be nice to have breakfast with my husband? Especially since everyone else is asleep?"

"Mmm, I suppose you're right, we don't really get to do this too often. How did you manage to get everyone back asleep?"

"Magic. A sleeping curse that will hopefully last for a few more hours. I love kids but even I would like a break from them on my Winter Break," she chuckled lightly and took another bite of her eggs. The pair ate in silence until it was time for David to head. How he wished he could spend a day with just him and his wife. Mary-Margaret was going to watch the kids this week and Regina was going to keep them the next. Perhaps he could persuade Regina and Robin to keep Neal for them too and he and Mary-Margaret could have some much needed alone time.

"Hey Mare, do you think you could convince Regina to watch Neal for us one day next week? I'll check the schedule and see about getting a day off." Mary-Margaret looked up at David with a slight smile.

"Oh, I'm sure that could be arranged. She totally owes us for this week, doesn't she?" She walked over to David and gave him a proper kiss good-bye. He closed the door behind him and headed off to another day of patrolling empty streets in the sleepy little town in which the only scandalous thing that happens is someone thinking they can beat Regina in a pie-baking contest.

Mary-Margaret turned from the door and surveyed her sleeping brood. Other than watching movies all day she wasn't in the mood for vacation lesson plans. She hoped they would sleep for a little while longer before needing her attention because as wonderful as it was to share breakfast with her husband, it was still early in the morning and there was nothing more she wanted to do than to sleep. She approached the Queen-sized bed and looked at Neal and Roland. She wondered if she were stealthy enough to shift her sleeping son into his crib. Sometimes their co-sleeping arrangement often interfered with couple time. It was always a massive undertaking to put Neal to sleep in his own crib. A lot of their couple time was planned out; there was no romantic spontaneity about it most of the time. She really hoped Regina would be open to keeping Neal for a couple of days next week. She knew Regina was feeling a bit overwhelmed with adjusting to her new family and keeping her pregnancy a secret. Mary-Margaret certainly didn't want to add to her stress, especially given how freaked out her friend was about the possibility of losing the pregnancy like she did all those years ago. Mary-Margaret pushed back the hair of her still sleeping son and sighed. She picked him up and he unconsciously grasped her tightly as she carried him over to his crib and placed him down. He only stirred for a brief moment. She headed back over to her bed and climbed in next to Roland and slept.

She awoke with a start, feeling a bit dizzy and out of sorts. She rolled over to check the time on the clock on her nightstand. It read ten o'clock in the morning. She briefly shut her eyes again and checked to see if Roland was still sleeping soundly next to her. He wasn't. She quickly sat up and threw off the covers. She knew Neal would be cranky and hungry and couldn't believe she hadn't heard his cries. She padded over to his crib only to discover he wasn't there. She heard the low hum of the tv coming from the living area of her loft. All three boys were camped out in front of the tv watching Finding Nemo. That was Neal's favorite movie and she was a bit touched that Henry would allow the youngest one to watch his favorite movie. Then again, Roland didn't like Finding Nemo as much as Robin Hood so Henry probably still had a tolerance for it.

"Morning boys! How did you sleep?"

"Hey Mary-Margaret. Slept great! Hope you don't mind, but Neal woke up and you looked like my mom does when she's had a stressful day at work and comes home to take a nap. Thought you could use more sleep."

Mary-Margaret chuckled. Henry was quite the responsible older brother. He's had a lot practice and has grown quite responsible in the past year.

"Oh, now worries. Thank you for taking him. I don't always get the luxury of sleeping with a two-year old. Is he hungry? Are you guys hungry?"

"No, Henry got us cereals! Didn't you Henry?"

"Oh, you did? Thank you, Henry. Did Neal eat okay?"

"Yeah, he ate with us and then picked out Finding Nemo for us to watch. It's almost over though. What else can we do today?"

"Well, I was trying to think of what else we could do today and I'm afraid I'm fresh out of ideas. Maybe we can go to the park?"

"Can we see if Emma is up? I haven't seen her since Thanksgiving."

"Uh, yeah sure. I'll see if she wants to meet us at the park or maybe she can join us for lunch, at Granny's?" Granny's was a treat for the boys. It was greasy gross food and Regina strictly forbade the fare. It was Mary-Margaret's week to watch the boys and if Regina had anything to say against what she decided to feed them then next time Regina could feed them herself. She picked up Neal and changed him into clothes more appropriate for outside play. Henry and Roland picked up the toys they'd pulled out in order to keep Neal entertained and put on their coats. Mary-Margaret packed a few snacks and soon they were all headed for the park.

The sun was brightly shining, but it was still a bit chilly. Mary-Margaret took Neal over to the playground while Henry and Roland headed over to the swings. Neal was quite adventurous and managed to climb the steps over to the slide. It took Mary-Margaret some coaxing, but she was even able to get Neal to go down the slide all by himself. Once he landed at the bottom, he hopped up and clapped his hands, exclaiming 'YAY' before rounding back around for another go. After a few more slides, Mary-Margaret was confident that Neal would be okay on the slide by himself and she went to sit down at a nearby bench to wait for Emma. She watched carefully over her little boy and even managed a glance over in Henry and Roland's direction. The two older boys abandoned the swings and were now playing a game of tag. It was a wonderful morning. It was nice and relaxing and not terribly stressful. It was moments like this that made life bearable.

Mary-Margaret was skimming through a newspaper while keeping an eye on the boys by the time Emma plopped down next to her on the bench.

"Hey what's up? Having fun watching the munchkins?"

"Oh, hey! Yeah, they've been great! Haven't had to fuss and keep the peace. It's great when the kids get along with each other."

"Yeah, not like when you have twenty something kids to keep track of and you can't even coerce them to behave with a gun."

"Emma. Not. Funny."

"Wha? It's how I relate. I don't teach and I don't have any kids."

"Yeah, so how's it going with Killian? You've been spending so much time with him that Henry's a little starved for attention."

"It's…it's going great, I think. Henry's been starved for attention?"

"You didn't answer the question, yes, Henry begged me to see if you could hang out with us before going to the office. Poor kid has to share his mom with Robin and Roland and how do you think he's gonna feel when he learns he's going to have to share his mom with yet another person? His life has taken a big turn in the last year. You were his constant."

" I see, yeah, I mean – well. Hmmm."

"You're like his big sister. He talks to me about some stuff, David a little bit. But I see the way you two interact. He's himself when he's with you – you take the pressure off of him having to be a more mature person. Now answer the question."

"Oh, um yeah, I suppose I have been spending a lot of time with Killian. Regina hasn't scared him off. You haven't scared him off. I think he quite enjoyed himself at Thanksgiving. I want to enjoy this for as long as I can. You know me and my track record with guys." Mary-Margaret rolled her eyes for she certainly did know Emma's track record with guys. Emma was too afraid to let guys get close out of the simple fear they would eventually leave her. It was somewhat an abandonment issue from growing up in different foster homes. Mary-Margaret certainly sympathized with Emma and felt a little sad she couldn't be more helpful.

Emma stared off into the distance considering that fateful day when she met Henry – and Regina. It was a much warmer day at the park than their current day and Emma decided to explore her new town. She'd just moved there from New York. Henry was around seven years old, going on twenty-five. Emma chuckled at the thought. He was a mini-man, she even used to call him that. Emma was sitting down on the very same bench she and Mary – Margaret were currently occupying wondering if her move to this small never heard of town was the right one to make. Her life in New York was good, but she just wanted a change of pace. She wasn't exactly running away from her problems, per se, but her problems were definitely a major contributing factor in her move. Her contemplation was interrupted by a soccer ball whizzing by. It startled her a bit. Her gaze shifted to the young boy who came charging after the ball. Emma stood up from the bench and rushed to get the ball before it went into the small lake in front of her. She tapped the ball and turned towards the boy and started off with a slow dribble so he could catch her. A woman's voice called out.

"Henry! I told you to be careful and to _not_ kick the ball towards the lake!" A brunette woman came charging up behind Henry just as he reached Emma.

"Hey kid, is this yours?" Henry looked up at Emma and grinned widely shaking his head. They danced around each other as Henry tried to steal the ball from Emma. No such luck. The brunette had finally caught up to the pair and offered a small smile with an apology.

"I am _so_ sorry he bothered you. He's just started out with soccer and I brought him here so he could kick the ball around a bit," Regina turned to Henry, "now Henry please apologize to the nice woman for bothering her. I think you've had enough for today." Henry dropped his head a mumbled an apology. "I'm sorry, I don't think she heard you."

"I said, 'I'm sorry for bothering you.'"

"Oh, it's no bother, honest. I love playing soccer. Maybe I'll see ya around sometime and we can play?" Henry looked up at Emma and his mouth spread into a wide grin.

"Hmm, Henry, please go gather your things so we can go home," Henry bent down to pick up his ball and solemnly headed over to where they had set up a small picnic area and he began repacking the small basket with their food items while Regina lagged behind. "Hello, I am Regina Mills. That was my son, Henry. I don't believe I've seen you around town before." Regina folded her arms in front of her while she waited for the blonde woman to finish out the introduction.

"Oh, um, I am Emma, Emma Swan. I just moved here from New York."

"Oh, New York? Storybrooke is quite a change of pace for you then, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I suppose."

"And how are you finding things here?"

"Uh, well, I haven't been here that long. I guess they're okay."

"Hmmm, well Storybrooke is a bit quaint. We don't get many new people here. They don't stay very long. Thank you for saving my son's ball. Had it gone into the lake that would've been the end of his soccer career."

"You're welcome?"

"Indeed." And with that final exchange Regina walked off to ensure Henry had picked everything up from their picnic and they headed off down the road. Emma supposed they didn't live far. Nothing was exactly spread out that far in Storybrooke. Emma went back to her bench and considered the lukewarm welcome from the brunette and her son. Perhaps the New England atmosphere made everyone a bit sour no matter what part of New England you went. Perhaps she should have moved South.

She gazed out at the lake, soaking in the mild weather. It was a welcome peace; the silence. It was almost a little unnerving for her surroundings to be so quiet, much unlike the hustle and bustle of New York. That might take some getting used to, but she was up for the challenge. She was startled out of her reverie, again, but this time by a cute, adorable couple. It appeared they were out for an afternoon stroll. The woman appeared to be pregnant from Emma could tell as the woman leaned into the man. They were laughing lightly. They looked up and saw Emma. The woman's smile faded, just a little bit as they came to a stop. The woman leaned up to the man and whispered in his ear. He shook his head slightly and glanced back down at the woman. She turned her head towards him, looked back at Emma and let go of the man's hand as she started a walk towards Emma. Emma became a little worried and stood up at the woman's approach.

"Hi, I'm Mary – Margaret and this is my husband David. We're the Nolans. Are you new here in town?" Emma was a bit taken aback with how everyone appeared to know she was new in town.

"Well, um, yeah I am. Do I have a stamp on my forehead that says 'New in town'? Mary-Margaret and David both laughed. Perhaps humor was the way to go about greeting the people of this town. Given her encounter with Regina, it must be a pretty depressing little place.

"No, you just look a bit out of place. It's a small town, everyone tends to know mostly everyone and we can't say that you're a terribly familiar face."

"Yeah, I kinda get that feeling."

"Oh, you do, do you?"

"Yeah, I had a rather strained run in with a mom and her kid. I'm hoping she's not actually on the town's Welcome Party. You'd definitely get no one to stick around here."

"Awww, we're sorry to hear that. Who was it?"

"I think she said her name was Regina maybe? And I think she called the little boy Henry?" Mary – Margaret and David exchanged glances that Emma couldn't quite figure out what they might be thinking.

"Oh, well, Regina's, she's been through some tough times. She really is a sweetheart once you get to know her, and get around that tough exterior she likes to put on. She's all bark, no bite. But I think she likes getting to the new people first – helps her establish her alpha female persona," Mary – Margaret finished off with a smile.

"Alpha female persona? Does she run the town?"

"Between, us, yes. But the mayor of the town is Cora Mills – Regina's mother. Regina's a book editor at Mother Goose Publishing, but the fruit kinda doesn't fall far from the tree," David whispered conspiratorially followed by a light laugh and a smirk from his wife. Emma didn't quite know what to make of that.

"David! David's just teasing. Regina is a dear sweet friend, a lot nicer than her mother. She's tough, but she means well. She doesn't make friends easily, but you'd be hard pressed to find someone as trustworthy as she. We're gonna head over to Granny's for lunch. Wanna join us?"

Emma sat with her mouth open. "Uh, yeah. So, Cora Mills is Regina's mom? And she's worse than Regina?"

"Well, if you want to think of it that way, sure, why?"

"She does the hiring for the Sherriff's department, yeah?"

"She signs off on appointments. Were you here to apply for the open deputy position?"

"Yeah, it seemed like it be a nice change of pace from what I did in New York. And it seems I didn't make a great first impression with her daughter. And from what you're telling me the fruit didn't fall far from the tree." Emma's face soured. Mary – Margaret offered another a small smile.

"Don't worry about it. Come on, let's go to Granny's. Her food is certain to put a smile on your face." Emma cocked her head and stood up to follow the Nolans to Granny's. It wasn't a very long walk by the time they reached the quaint bed and breakfast. Judging by the number of clientele, Granny's was a very popular place. The trio managed to find a quiet booth in the back of the diner and settled themselves in while a scantily clad waitress came over to take their orders.

"What's good here?"

"Oh, um everything! I have yet to find a dish I haven't liked. I'm kinda in the mood for grilled cheese and tomato soup today. It warms the soul."

"Hmmm, well I have always like grilled cheese. It's kind of a comfort food. And hot chocolate."

"Alright, got your order Mary, new girl and David? What are you gonna have?"

"I think I will have a big and greasy, with cheese, all the way. And fries, all the way!" David shut his menu and passed it over to the waitress.

"Oh, one more thing," Emma called out to the waitress before she got too far away, "could you sprinkle some cinnamon on top of the hot cocoa?" The waitress shrugged her shoulders and headed off to place their orders. David and May – Margaret began telling Emma of all the wonderful things they loved about the small quaint little harbor town. The woods had nice walking, hiking and biking trails that boosted their tourism during the spring and summer months. The local library had a clock tower that Mary – Margaret and David would sometimes borrow for things other than reading books. \David blushed at Mary – Margaret's admission. Emma thought they were the cutest couple and decided that perhaps moving to this town was a good thing. They seemed to have found happiness, maybe should could as well. The waitress, whose name she came to find out was Ruby, brought their food and they quickly dug in and ate for a few silent minutes before the bell tinkered overhead. Emma looked up to see that same brunette and little boy walk into the diner. Emma slowed the chewing of her food. Mary – Margaret and David noticed Emma's actions and turned to see what caught her attention. Mary – Margaret dabbed her lips with a napkin, stuck out her hand and waved.

"Hey Regina! Henry!" Emma sunk into the booth. Mary – Margaret sure was friendly. Regina turned towards Mary – Margaret's voice and let out an exasperated sigh that made Emma think Regina might be just as unnerved with Mary – Margaret as she was. Henry's face lit up with a smile. He tossed a ' _come on, mom_ ' over his shoulder before jogging over to their table. He leaned into the booth to give Mary – Margaret a hug and scooted in to sit with her. Regina stood before the table.

"Oh, I see you've found our new arrival. Should have known. Mary – Margaret, Storybrooke's welcoming committee."

"Yeah, this is Emma. She says she's already had the _pleasure_ of meeting you and Henry!"

"Yeah, she says she's here to apply for the new deputy position, whadya think?" David chimed in. Regina, for a moment, was taken aback. No one dared to apply for that position since Daniel's passing. It was a small town, so the only people who really knew about it were the townspeople. They felt so sorry for Regina that they didn't really feel right applying for it, so the position was never filled.

"Regina? David asked what you thought about that? Isn't it good that someone finally applied? We could use fresh face around here, don'tcha think?" Mary – Margaret was infuriatingly sweet. After Daniel's passing Regina adopted a closed off personality to protect herself from getting too close to people, but since Mary – Margaret was somewhat of a close friend before, she tolerated her. Regina considered Mary – Margaret's words for a moment. Deep in her heart Regina knew she was right, it was time to move on. Perhaps it was a sign that this Emma person was meant to have the job since she was the first person to ever apply in the five years it had been posted. Regina clenched her jaw tight before responding.

"I suppose you're right Mary – Margaret. We could use a fresh face around here. I'll even put in a good word with my mother. How does that sound? Now, come on Henry. We've stayed far longer than I wanted."

"Awww, mom! Can I stay with Mary – Margaret and David? They'll bring me home in a little while. Maybe David can take me back to the park and practice soccer with me?" Regina pursed her lips. She hated to let Henry out of her sight, but the Nolans were always very good with him, she supposed.

"Alright, you can stay with them, but I want him back at my house at 6 o'clock in the evening, no earlier, no later. Do you understand Mary – Margaret?" Mary – Margaret shrunk back into the booth. Emma got the feeling that Mary – Margaret had gotten that speech on more than one occasion. Henry let out a yippee and then excused himself to the restroom. "I do hope you enjoy your time here Miss Swan," Regina offered up the platitude and headed towards the take out counter to place her order. Emma leaned into Mary – Margaret.

"She's gonna talk to the mayor for me? Here I thought she was kind of a bitch." Mary – Margaret leaned back a little and her face seemed sad. "Oh, I'm sorry, is she a friend?"

"Well, yeah. Her husband died a few years ago. The position you're looking to fill was his. It's been posted ever since he died. She never really recovered from the loss. She kinda just shut people out. You just gotta give her a chance. She really is a great friend! And mother, she adores Henry so."

"Oh. Well, Henry seems pretty well adjusted."

"That he is. We made sure of that – kind of 'It takes a village to raise a child.' David was Daniel's partner. We were all really good friends. Regina doesn't take much time for herself, so she's a bit socially awkward."

"That's one way to say it." Henry popped back from the restroom and Regina headed back over to the table to tell him she'd ordered him a salad with chicken tenders and to consider that a treat. She also warned Mary – Margaret against buying her son ice cream as was her want whenever Henry was in her care. Mary – Margaret solemnly swore _she_ wouldn't get Henry any ice cream while she offered a wink to Emma. Emma got the feeling she was suddenly made a conspirator to get Henry ice cream despite what Regina said. Emma really needed to stay on Regina's good side, if it existed so she could get the deputy position.

"Did you have a nice talk with my mom?" Henry asked as he dug into his salad.

"Uh, yeah sure."

"Great! You can join the mission!"

"Uh, what mission?" Mary – Margaret chuckled.

" _That_ is a _great_ idea Henry! It's called _Operation Friendship 1_."

"They're trying to get Regina more friends so Henry can have more fun in his life. If Regina's occupied with other friendships then she won't keep as close an eye on Henry. At least that's the theory they're going with. I hope it pans out for them," David offered. Emma's mouth made a silent 'oh' and looked down at the boy with the goofy grin on his face. Sure, Emma could play along with this mission. She was new in this town and she didn't really have friends in New York and she did decide a change of scenery is what she needed in life and supposed that new friends was definitely a part of that changing scenery.

"Alright then, _Operation Friendship 1_ ' is on. Now let's finish up this food and head back to the park."

Emma was startled out of her reverie by Henry and Roland running up to her and throwing their arms around her in a hug.

"Emma! You came!"

"Yeah, Emma came!"

"Of course kid! I wouldn't miss park time for anything!"

* * *

Hope you guys enjoyed it!


	15. Decisions, Decisions

"What's black and white and read all over?"

"Hmmmm, a zebra wearing a red suit?"

"No daddy!"

"Maybe a white leopard wearing a red suit?"

Roland laughed again, "No daddy! A newspaper!"

The Mills-Hood family was taking an outing to the outlet shops for some much needed Christmas shopping. Robin walked with Roland and his bad joke telling and Regina and Henry had paired off with each other. Robin was making his way towards the hardware store. That was the last place they needed to stop by. They were going to pick out paint for the nursery. Even though it was Regina that suggested remodeling her office into the new baby's room, Robin was having a hard time convincing Regina to do anything remotely baby related. She was still apprehensive with letting herself get excited about their pending arrival. Somewhere in the back of her mind she was convinced she might not be able to carry the baby. Robin hoped picking out paint would push her in the direction of doing something more. Perhaps looking at cribs and dressers and changing tables. Speaking of baby furniture, they were passing the new baby store in town. He pulled Roland into the store and headed towards the walls with cribs.

"What are we doing in here daddy? Are we gonna get cousin Neal some more baby stuff? Does he need more clothes cuz he keeps spilling his juice?"

"Uh, yeah, my boy. I thought you would like to pick out something for Neal."

"Okay Daddy." They walked around the store for a little bit. Robin didn't think Roland would catch on but he wanted to cover his tracks and let Roland pick out a couple of outfits before finally heading back towards the crib section of the store. Robin's eye settled on a cherry oak wood crib that could transform into at least a toddler bed. He was just checking the specifications when he heard Roland yell out.

"Mommy Gina! You're here!" Robin looked up from the crib to see his wife standing behind him holding a few bags with Henry holding the rest.

"Robinnnn," she held out the last syllable of his name, hoping he would hear the warning in her voice.

"Uh-oh Robin. I know that tone. You're in trouble."

"We were just looking for some clothes for Neal, weren't we Roland?"

"Yeah! We pickeded out some shirts and pants and daddy let me pick out a Minions toy! See?" Regina looked down at Roland and the basket he was holding in his tiny hands. At least Robin had a somewhat decent cover story. A somewhat decent cover story that she may or may not have just ruined.

"Oh, well, yes these are lovely Roland. Henry, why don't you take Roland and head up towards the cashier. I want to talk to Robin for a quick moment."

"But mom, I have all these bags too!" Henry whined.

"You can leave them here, Robin and I will get them," she turned to Robin while the two boys headed off. "Robin, what are you doing? Are you looking at cribs? You're going to give them ideas. We talked about this."

"I know, I know. But I want to do something more! I feel like I can't do anything right now and it's driving me crazy! I can't dote on you. I can't tell the boys to be careful around mommy because she's carrying a precious baby in her tummy. I can't move all the furniture out of your office. I can't paint. I can't buy cute little stuffed animals. I can't buy onesies that say 'Daddy's Little Angel'." Regina's eyes started to tear up. She was depriving Robin of the fun parts of being an expectant father because she was afraid.

"Oh Robin. I'm sorry. I get it, I really do and I am sorry. I bet you didn't think you'd signed up for all the neuroticism. But I let you talk me into buying paint, didn't I?"

"Oh trust me love, I knew all about your neuroticism. And yes you _are_ letting me buy paint, but you won't let me paint until after your next appointment." Regina blew out a breath. She really didn't know how else to get Robin to understand and be a little patient. Her appointment was in two more weeks. They would tell everyone at Christmas and then maybe, perhaps they could move the furniture out of her office and paint the nursery. Until the appointment she wouldn't do anything to get her hopes up. She didn't want to have to return baby furniture or look at cute stuffed animals or have people look at her with sad, knowing faces if she lost this baby too. It was all too much. She was on the verge of a meltdown in the baby store which was sure to cause a scene. She cocked her head to the side and turned to look at the crib that Robin looked at moments before.

"So, this crib is the one that has sparked your fancy?" Robin started to speak, but no sound came out of his mouth. He was prepared to present more reasons why his wife's fear was tearing him up inside. He watched as her hand stroked the wood while she walked the length of the crib. She stopped when she reached the end and turned to look back up at him. She must have asked him a question judging by the pensive look on her face. "Robin?"

"Uh, yeah, yes. I thought this would go well with your penchant for all things dark. And it goes from a crib to a toddler bed so it could last a few more years." Regina smirked. Regina's head snapped in the direction of the sound of rushing feet and the familiar voice of her son calling out.

"Mom! We're ready to checkout! What are you guys doing?" Henry asked as Regina quickly snatched her hand from the ticket on the crib.

"Nothing Henry."

"Well, you guys have been doing 'nothing' for a long time now. Come on, me and Ro are hungry!" Henry scolded his parents and folded his arms in front of him to show his clear disappointment.

"Henry, calm yourself. Let the next person go in front of you. We'll be there in a moment."

"But mo-om you said that forever ago! If you're not doing 'nothing' why can't you come now?"

"Because Henry we are discussing adult matters that don't concern you. Your mother and I are having a private discussion. Now go back up front. We'll be up there shortly, okay?" Henry shrunk back a little. Robin was always the softy and his mom was the hardass. He mumbled an 'okay' before sulking back towards the front of the store. Regina turned back to Robin with a wide-eyed expression.

"Well that was a bit harsh."

"This is a serious discussion. I hate that it's happening here, but now that we've started I kinda want to finish." Regina pursed her lips and cocked her head to the side and turned back towards the crib. Then, in a move surprising both she and Robin, she took one of the tickets out of the slot from the crib and made a move towards the cashier. Robin made a move to grab her arm. She turned to Robin and through clenched teeth so as not to cause a scene she uttered, "Let go of my arm."

"Regina! What are you doing?"

"If you don't let me do this now you're going to be waiting until I actually pop this kid out and we're on our way home from the hospital and have to stop at the store to buy the crib because we won't have a place for it to sleep." Robin dropped her arm in response and the corners of his eyes welled up with tears. He cleared his throat before quickly pulling his wife into a hug. This time they were interrupted by Roland pulling on his dad's jacket. Robin let go of Regina.

"Daddy are you crying? Are you crying because mommy won't let you come to the, come to the, where did you tell us to go mommy?" Roland queried as he looked up at Regina. Regina reached down to ruffle the small boy's hair.

"The cashier, Roland. Mommy and daddy just needed a few moments. Thank you for being so patient with us. As a reward, how about we head to the food pavilion and you and Henry can get whatever you want to eat and then we'll stop at Granny's for hot chocolate. How does that sound?" Roland let out a big grin and nodded his head so fast Regina thought it might plop off. "Good, now let's go checkout, shall we?" Roland nodded his head and turned to head back up to the cashier. Robin reached out and pulled Regina back into another quick hug. He released her and let her lead the path to the cashier where Henry and Roland were waiting with the other baby items. Regina passed through the two boys to stand at the counter. Robin came to stand beside her and took the basket Roland was still holding and passed it to the cashier. The cashier rang in the items and Regina being covertly as possible slid the ticket for the crib onto the counter. The cashier quirked her eyebrows and scanned the ticket. Henry watched as the price jumped from $35.59 to $1167.32. Before the cashier could ask what Regina was sure to be an all-revealing question she turned to Robin, "Hey Robin, I'll finish up here. Why don't you and the boys head to the food pavilion, I'm sure they're starving and I'm starting to feel a little bit hungry myself." Robin nodded his head in understanding.

"Alright boys, let's see if we can find something to eat, shall we?"

"Okay," they both responded at the same time. They headed to walk out the door, but Henry lingered just a little, casting a glance towards his mother who suddenly looked a little nervous. He couldn't quite figure out the parent's strange behavior. He wasn't sure what their 'discussion' was about that supposedly was only going to take them 'a moment' but he was worried that it might be something big. He hoped it wasn't going to spell the end of the new family life he was starting to adjust to. Maybe they were fighting over how Henry was treating Roland. Maybe he _would_ stop crushing the boy's DVDs. Henry certainly didn't want to be the cause of discord between the parents. Roland tugged on Henry's hand babbling about a Happy Meal because mommy Gina said he could have whatever he wanted and wasn't that great because she hardly ever lets them get Happy Meals.

Regina watched as the men in her life exited the store before turning back towards the cashier.

"Alrighty, your total comes to $1167.32. Are you taking the crib home today or would you like it delivered?" The cashier prompted Regina.

"Oh, um. Yes."

"Yes to taking it home today or yes to delivery?"

"Can you hang on one quick second, I need to make a phone call," Regina asked the cashier while she stepped away to call Mary – Margaret. She had a favor to ask.

"Hey Regina, what's up?"

"Mare, I have a huge favor to ask."

"Ohh – kay. Must be pretty huge for you to call. What is it?"

"Well, I uh – we bought a crib." Regina said with a crinkle of her brow.

"You did?! That's awesome!" Mary – Margaret squealed into the phone.

"Well, it was an impulse buy. We still haven't told the boys so we can't exactly take it home today. Do you think I can have it delivered to your place?" There was a pause on the line.

"Um, yeah sure, sure. Regina, you can't keep this hidden for much longer. You're going to start to show. Henry's already worried you're very ill and that you guys just aren't telling him."

"Well. Technically I am ill. I have a parasite growing in my belly. Now, when will you be home to receive the delivery?"

"Rude. I guess any day next week will be fine. You'll have all the kids! Speaking of favors, I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Great. I suppose I could return a favor. What do you need?"

"David and I were hoping you could watch Neal. Overnight. We haven't had a proper night to ourselves." Regina huffed and scoffed slightly at the request.

"Fine, I will keep Neal overnight for you. Don't go getting any ideas. Do I need to provide you with condoms?"

"Says the woman who didn't use them herself."

"Well, I had no reason to. How was I supposed to know I was fertile myrtle? All the evidence points to barrenness. Now, what day are we doing this on? I'll have the crib delivered on that day so I can check it out."

"Fine fine, how about Wednesday? Does that sound alright to you?"

"Sounds great. And Mare? Thanks."

"Uh, sure, no problem. It's what friends are for, yeah?"

"Yeah, bye." Regina finished her conversation with Mary – Margaret and approached the cashier.

"Can you have it out next Wednesday?" The cashier nodded her head and took Regina's credit card to finish the transaction. Regina picked up the rest of the shopping bags they acquired from the day's outing. They really had a lot of stuff. She wasn't prone to spoiling but it was their first Christmas together as a family and she wanted it to be super special. Given the unexpected surprise of her pregnancy, it was sure to be something they'd never forget. While she walked towards the food pavilion, she mentally checked off the people she'd purchased presents for and the other people she still needed gifts for. People like Robin. Giving him a new life should be present enough but she felt a little guilty about not getting him something more. Of course she let the boys pick out presents to give to Robin so it's wasn't as if there weren't going to be presents under the tree for him. She sighed to herself and scanned the seating area for her trio of men. She saw Henry motioning to her and heard Robin calling out to her. She swiftly made her way to the table and set down her purchases. Robin stood up to pull out a chair and to place a kiss on her cheek.

"Sorry we couldn't wait for you love, the boys were really hungry. Wasn't sure what you wanted to eat."

"That's alright. I'm not quite sure what I would like to eat either. It's not very often we eat out like this – it makes it all so hard to choose. Hmmm, what do I feel like? There's the sandwich shop. The pizza place. Chinese Food." Robin frowned when she mentioned Chinese food remembering a few weeks back when Regina's stomach didn't quite agree with that fare. "Oh, I know! Japanese. That's not too fattening." Robin's ears definitely perked up at that declaration.

"Uh, Regina, do you think that's wise?" Regina looked up from fishing around in her purse for her wallet.

"Yes, I think it's perfectly fine. I have a hankering for sushi," she stated in a tone that suggested there would be no further discussion on the matter. Regina sighed, having found her wallet and stood up to head over to the Japanese food place.

"Excuse me boys," Robin whispered to Henry and Roland as he dabbed his mouth and headed after Regina. Henry swallowed his current bite of food and suddenly didn't feel hungry anymore. Whatever the parents' issue was didn't seem resolved from their short conversation in the baby store. He sighed and stole a glance at Roland who finished off his chicken nuggets at the insistence of Robin and was currently playing with the toy that came in his Happy Meal.

"Uh, Regina, what are you doing?" Robin spoke in a hushed tone once he reached Regina.

"Isn't it obvious? I am going to get something to eat."

"Yes, I know that, but you're getting sushi," Robin said sternly, hoping she would appreciate the seriousness of his tone.

"Well yes, that's what I'm craving right now. Is that a problem?"

"Is that? Is that a problem? Yes, it is a problem!" Robin raised his voice slightly. The noise level in the seating area suddenly dropped at the scene playing out before them.

"Robin, hush, you're causing a scene," admonished Regina. Robin offered a tentative wave to the nosy onlookers and pulled Regina over towards the restrooms where he hoped for a little more privacy.

"Sushi Regina? You can't have sushi. You're pregnant. It could hurt the baby." Regina stood silent for a moment before quirking a small smile. "You, you're laughing at this? You could hurt the baby!" Regina placed a hand on Robin's arm before responding.

"Oh Robin," she chuckled, "they have rolls that contain fully cooked ingredients. Is that okay with you? I've read the books too, you know." She stared hard at Robin, waiting for his response.

"Oh. Well, yeah, cooked sushi?"

"No, not cooked sushi. Maki rolls with fully cooked ingredients. They have California Roll, a Sweet Potato Roll, are those options okay with you?"

"Um, yeah."

"My dear Robin, I'm glad for your over-protectiveness, but let's try not to cause a scene, okay? Especially not in front of the boys. They might start to think things." She leaned over and gave him a kiss and resumed her trek over to the Japanese place. She was definitely starting to feel hunger pangs. She needed to start carrying protein bars in her purse. She couldn't go all day without eating like she sometimes did. Creating life took a toll on the body.

Henry watched his parents' strange display with interest but quickly ducked his head when Robin turned and headed back towards their table.

"Eh, everything okay, Robin?"

"Yeah, everything's fine, Henry."

"You sure? You guys didn't seem fine in the baby store and you certainly didn't seem fine just now. Are we running out of money?"

"What? No, I uh, I just wanted to make sure your mom was feeling alright."

"Why? Is she sick or something? Is her throwing up more than just bad food? It is, isn't?! What aren't you guys telling us?"

"No, she's not sick. Um, her ulcerative colitis has flared up and I was just cautioning her about her food. I thought maybe she would like something a little blander." Henry's mouth formed a small oh. Robin hoped his little white lie was convincing enough for the young boy. A few moments later Regina sat down at the table with her Maki rolls and a smirk on her face, as if daring Robin to say something. Robin nodded his head and began collecting their discarded food wrappers and trays while Regina inhaled her lunch. He took all the trays over to the trash can and then returned to collect Regina's tray.

"Well, that was wonderful. What do you guys say? All done shopping?"

"Yes! I wanna go home and watch my movies!" Roland piped up.

"Your movies, huh? What movies would those be?"

"My Robin Hood movie! And Finding Nemo!" Regina stared hard at Henry. Those were Roland's Christmas presents.

"Oh Roland, those aren't for you!"

"They're not? Who else watches my movies?"

"They're for Neal. He likes those movies too, remember? Mary – Margaret told me how you guys spent all week watching those over and over and then on Friday both of those DVDs seemed to be scratched."

"Oh, ohh kay. But can we still go home and watch movies?" Regina chuckled at his proclivity for movie watching.

"Sure Roland, why don't you help pick up some of these bags, ok?"

"Uh, Regina love, I thought we were going to pick out paint. For your office?"

"Oh, yes, that is why we came out here, isn't it? Whadya say boys, up for one more stop?" Both boys gazed up at their parents with puppy dog eyes, Roland's even threatening to drip tears. They were tired and exhausted and ready for a nap after lunch. It was useless, they knew, to complain how tired they were. Henry hoped it would be easy for them to pick out a paint color. His mom usually stuck to cream colors, a stark contrast to her penchant for dark colored furniture. After a few moments both Henry and Roland squeaked out an 'okay'. With an affirmative nod they each picked up a few bags and headed towards the hardware store towards the end.

Robin and Regina and their two boys headed for the paint section of the hardware store. Usually Regina headed straight for the creams and ivories and off – whites, but this paint color for was for her future child. It was easy to pick out a color for Henry's room. She and Daniel were so excited to have a baby they couldn't wait to find out what they were having. Daniel had taken off that day from work so he could be with Regina when she found out what sex the baby would be. He was so excited, possibly more so than Regina. She had to warn him a couple of times that he would be banned from future appointments if he didn't tamper down his excitement. He was making her more nervous and that wasn't good for her stress levels, which in turn wasn't good for the baby. He promised to tone it down, only a little. It seemed to take forever in the waiting room and even longer once they were taken to the exam room. Daniel fiddled around with some of the displays, in complete awe of the changes going on within Regina in order to bring forth life – he told her so. He told her how proud of her he was and how glad he was that God blessed him with her. She was in tears by the time the doctor came in to see them and was immediately worried. Regina had to laugh off her emotional state, blamed it on the baby for how easy it was for her to cry. They all had a good chuckle at that. Finally towards the end of the appointment they got to see their baby and to see its profile, to learn they were having a little boy. They were so ecstatic and Regina was relieved that she would be able to pick a gender specific color and theme for the nursery. She liked planning. It helped keep her sanity. Finally being able to plan and decorate her son's nursery helped make her feel just as excited about her impending arrival as Daniel.

Regina browsed the paint swatches, unsure really of why she was even there. They didn't know the gender of the baby, wouldn't know for a while. She sighed a little bit, let out a hum. Robin turned to look at her, a silent question in his eyes. She tilted her head, indicating they step to the side while the boys were somewhat distracted flipping through the paint swatches.

"What's wrong?"

"Well, it's,"

"It's what?"

"We don't know the sex of the baby. We haven't exactly talked about what color or theme we're going to go with. And we can't really discuss it right now in front of the boys," she rushed through her words in a hushed whisper.

"Hmmm, I see. Well what about green? That works for both, yeah?"

"Eww, no, I don't want to do gender neutral stuff. If we're going to do this, I want to do it properly." Robin grasped Regina's hands and swung them lightly. He hadn't realized how stressful this was turning out to be. He thought getting stuff for the baby would help her accept that she really was pregnant and that things would be okay. He wanted her to have hope that everything would be okay.

"Okay, okay."

"Okay?"

"Yeah, let's go home." Regina looked into Robin's eyes, tears threatening to fall. She cocked her head to the side, trying to read his thoughts.

"But what about the paint?"

"It can wait. I see how this is wearing on you. I don't want to stress you out any more than you already are. I have faith and hope that everything will be okay. If it takes you a little bit longer, until you're popping the kid out and holding it in your arms, I have enough faith and hope for the both of us." This time tears really did fall from Regina. How lucky she was to have this man in her life. How lucky she was to have found someone as accepting of her neuroticism as Daniel. She let out a slight chuckle. Robin squeezed her hands, "what?"

"Nothing. Thank you for this, for understanding. I don't know if you can even begin to imagine how much this means to me. Thank you for giving me time to adjust to this. Somewhere in the back of my mind I know I'm being just a little bit silly over all this and I should allow myself to enjoy it, but I just can't do that right now. One day soon I hope to, but not right now."

"Regina, I know, I know. I'm sorry to pressure you into this. I'm just so excited to be sharing this with you. I can wait until you feel a little more comfortable with this. But just so you know, I'm not waiting until you're popping the kid out, okay?" Regina shook her head with a light laugh.

"I promise not to wait that long." They shared a kiss just as a loud "Ewww" could be heard from behind them. They both stopped and turned to see a sour – faced Roland.

"I thought we were picking out paint! Not kissing!" Both adults leaned into each other and chuckled.

"You're right Roland, we are here to pick out paint. What color do you think would look great in mommy's office?"

"Hmmm, I know!" Exclaimed Roland with wide – eyes.

"You do? Tell us."

"How about green?" Regina chuckled.

"Like father, like son, hmm Roland?"

"What does that mean mommy?"

"It means, my boy, that we have excellent taste." Regina turned to look at Robin.

"Are you sure about green? What shade would we get? There are so many choose from. We might spend all day in here."

"Nooooo! I don't want to spend any more time here. Me and Henry are ready to go home."

"You are, are you?"

"Yes, and you said we could gets hot chocolate from Granny's!"

"Ahh, so I did. Well, we can come back another day to pick out paint, can't we?"

"Yes yes yes! Let's get hot chocolate!"

"Okay, okay Roland, hold your horses. Let's find Henry and we'll head on out, okay?"

"Yes! Hennnnry!" Regina gave Robin another peck on the cheek as Roland ran off to find Henry. Robin held out his hand for Regina to take hand. This is how they headed out of the store behind their happily skipping boys.

* * *

The trek to Granny's was filled with such excitement, probably from not having to lug bags around the outlet stores. The Mills – Hood family made the bell ring out, announcing their arrival into Granny's, apparently the local hangout for today. The Nolans and Emma were already seated at a booth near the front. The boys took for the booth. Robin held the door open for Regina, allowing her to pass through in front of him. He took their coats and hung them on the coat rack by the door. They approached the table.

"Hey guys, what's up? Fancy seeing you in here," Emma greeted them.

"Hello Emma, Mary – Margaret, David. I promised the boys hot chocolate since they were so patient while we went shopping."

"Uh – huh, mommy wanted to get paint, but we didn't pick out paint. But now mommy says we can have hot chocolates, right mommy?"

"Hmm, yes Roland. Henry, why don't you go to the counter and order us all a hot chocolate, okay? If you will excuse me for a moment, I'm going to use the facilities." Regina headed to the back of the restaurant.

"I'm gonna head to the restroom too. Roland, do you need to go?" Robin asked his young son. The little boy shook his head before responding.

"No, I don't have to go."

"Well, why don't you try, okay? Will you try for me? Then we'll come back and have hot chocolate, okay?" Robin said, hoping to coax Roland to using the restroom.

"Ohh kaaay." Roland sighed as he slid out of the booth, quickly to be replaced by Henry. Henry leaned forward to whisper to the Nolans and Emma.

"Hey guys, I wanna talk to you about something, but you have to promise not to mention anything to my mom or Robin." All three adults looked bewildered at each other. If it was something this serious, perhaps it did bear a conversation with Robin and Regina. They would have to tread lightly in their conversation; gain Henry's trust to be completely forthcoming and not scare him off. Emma was the first to respond.

"Of course kid, you can tell us anything."

"But," Mary – Margaret interrupted, "if it's something serious we might have to let your parents know." Emma whipped her head suddenly at Mary – Margaret for mentioning his parents might still be involved, betraying the trust and confidence he had in them to keep his secret. Mary – Margaret was good for not keeping secrets even though it was expressly stated that said secret was indeed a secret and should not be told. Henry let out a sigh.

"It's nothing like that. I'm worried about my mom, and Robin."

"Well, what's going on that's got you so worried?" Emma prompted.

"Well you know mom's been throwing up and I think she actually went to the doctor but neither one of them has told us what was wrong." Emma and Mary – Margaret shared a knowing glance, nodding their heads for Henry to continue.

"And then in mom's office she took down all the pictures. And today, when we went shopping, they also wanted to get paint for her office, but Robin stopped in the baby store. He said it was to get some stuff for Neal, but when me and mom found him, mom was really mad that Robin was in there."

"Was she? How do you know she was mad?" Mary – Margaret asked, making sure to sound as innocent as possible. She didn't want to tip her hand to Henry what she knew about his mom and Robin.

"Well, she sent me and Roland away so she could talk to him in private, just for a moment she said. But they talked longer than that. And when we finally made it to the paint store, mom and Robin snuck off again and when I found them mom looked like she was crying. Are they fighting over paint? Is paint that serious? Are they going to get divorced over paint? I don't want them to get divorced, mom finally seems happy. And as much as I'd like to get rid of Roland, I would actually kinda miss him." All three of the adults chuckled slightly. Henry's concerns were not as serious as they imagined, but all the same they were serious to him. David was the first to speak when Henry finished.

"Y'know Henry, sometimes adults have issues that don't involve their kids. They want to keep it private."

"I know, but we're a family and family is supposed to be there for each other and help each other out and stuff and they're not doing that. I don't like it when my mom cries. I, I, I don't want to see her cry."

"Oh, Henry. I wouldn't worry."

"What's not to worry about?"

"What are we worrying about?" Regina said as she approached the table, followed shortly by Robin and Roland.

"Uh, nothing. I was just telling them how I was worried about um, um…" Henry's eyes went wide in a panic. He was caught off guard by his mother's approach to the table. The conversation lasted a lot longer than he anticipated.

"What was taking the hot chocolate so long. You know how much Henry loves his hot chocolate. He thought it should be here by now," volunteered Mary – Margaret.

"Yeah, it's still not here!"

"Oh my, that is a cause for worry, isn't?" Regina commented as she slid into the booth next to Henry.

"Robin, since you're still up can you ask Ruby what's taking so long with our hot chocolate? Shopping was a bit taxing today and I can't wait to get home and take a nice hot steamy shower. My muscles ache terribly." Robin nodded his head and went in search of Ruby.

"So, Regina, Henry tells us you were Christmas shopping today?"

"Oh yes. It was quite the adventure, wasn't it kids?"

"Uh huh! Mommy even let me gets a Happy Meal! See? Look at this cool toy!" Roland held up the toy he received in the Happy Meal and set about demonstrating to everyone how it worked. Oh to be that young and innocent they all thought. Moments later Robin approached the table followed by Ruby with a tray full of hot chocolate. Robin allowed Ruby to set down everyone's hot chocolate before pulling a chair from the free standing tables so he could sit at the end of the table. Everyone picked up their mugs at the same time and took a sip. When they brought the mugs down, they all stared at each other for a few moments before bursting into laughter at the sight of whip cream mustaches. They all chatted until the hot chocolate was consumed. Emma and the Nolans stood to collect their coats and bid the Mills-Hood family a good-bye. Robin returned his chair and slid into the booth across from the boys and Regina. Robin and Regina stretched their hands across the table and held them for a few moments. The sushi she'd had for lunch wasn't actually very filling. Her stomach began to rumble, begging to be sated. She quite had a craving for the messiest of messy cheeseburgers and onion rings from Granny's. She knew Robin wouldn't object to her dinner choice. Regina turned her head to the young boys to address them.

"Hey guys, whadya say to Granny's for dinner now that we've had our fill of hot chocolate?"

"Yeah! A junk food kind of day. Are you feeling alright, mom?"

Regina and Robin shared a knowing smirked. She slightly shook her head. She still wasn't sure when the right time to tell the boys was, so she offered a different explanation.

"I'm feeling fine, Henry. I just think that a day of shopping is super exhausting and I don't quite feel like cooking. Are you complaining?" Henry shook his head quickly.

"Nope, not at all! But can we get it to go? I wanna go home and watch a movie? Can we do that?"

"Yeah! Can we watch a movie at home?" Roland chimed in.

"Sure, I don't see why not. Ruby!" Regina called to the waitress standing behind the counter. "We'd like four of the messiest of messy cheeseburgers and onion rings. To go."

"Alrighty, comin' right up!" Ruby called back. The Mills-Hood family all burst into laughter once more. At least the rather taxing day was ending on a good note, Regina thought to herself as she surveyed her husband and sons. A good note indeed.


	16. Midnight in the Garden of Good

Hey all! I wanted to get some stuff up in time for Christmas but it just isn't happening. I hurt my back and just kinda had to suffer through the pain. I couldn't finish out this next chapter and get a start on the following one. I usually like to be a couple of chapters ahead of what I'm posting so I always have something to post just in case I get stuck. Good news though, this chapter is pretty lengthy, I think. I hope you enjoy it and that I've done the characters justice. It's real smutty, you've been warned.

* * *

Mary – Margaret rolled over and shut off her alarm. She slapped a hand over face and let out a small groan. It was early in the morning but it was also during her week off from school and she longed for the days before she had a child that maintained schedule no matter what. She listened out for Neal to signal that he was awake. She heard no sounds coming from his crib. She rolled over to cuddle closer to David. He had the day off. Regina was going to keep Neal for them over night so they could have a child free day and night. She wanted to take advantage of sleeping in while she had the chance. Who knew how long Neal would decide to sleep that morning? She needed all her energy for her day with David. She had a couple of activities planned. She leaned over to look at David and judging from the tent in his covers, perhaps he had some activities planned as well. His hand found her back and began rubbing small circles. Good, he was awake. Perhaps they could get a head start on child free day before they actually got rid of the child. A small part of her felt a little guilty for wanting to get rid of Neal for a little while, but she and David rarely got time alone anymore and she was grateful for this arrangement with Regina. The circles became long strokes starting from her shoulders and drifting down to her butt, which David would squeeze before heading back up. Mary –Margaret scooted in closer to David and began peppering is neck with kisses. They were still waking up and there was no real need to rush anything, Neal would probably interrupt them in a few moments. After a few minutes of languid kisses, tongues exploring mouths, teeth nipping lips swollen from kisses, David shifted over Mary – Margaret, placing his hands on either side of her head. Mary – Margaret shifted underneath him to accommodate his new position. David resumed kissing her lips for a few seconds longer before peppering them down her jawline towards her neck. Mary – Margaret lolled her head to the side to give him better access. His lips moved towards that spot just below her ear lobe and he gave it a strong pull that had Mary – Margaret whimpering. She wanted to be just a little louder but if Neal was still sleeping during their morning make out session she didn't want to ruin it. David sucked a little longer, a little harder before ghosting lightly down Mary – Margaret's jawline to her throat where he could feel the vibrations from her moaning. David paused, causing Mary – Margaret to turn her head back to David.

"Why did you stop?" she whispered. All David did was give her a mischievous grin before resuming his attacks, this time kissing the middle of her chest, above her breast. His hands moved to the sleeves of her nightgown. He pulled one down to gain access to her right breast. Mary – Margaret brought her hand up to his chest, stopping him. It was David's turn to look at her with a puzzled look. She chuckled lightly and brought her hands down toward the bottom of her gown to shimmy it up and over her head. David sat back to gaze at her body. Mary – Margaret caught his eyes and let out a shy giggle as she brought her hand over her eyes. David moved them to her sides.

"What?"

"I want to look at you."

"No, don't. I still haven't lost all the baby weight. And it's been two years. Ugh, I really need to take Regina up on her offer for evening walks. She's really going to be into it now that she's pregnant. Heaven forbid that woman gain a pound." David laughed at his wife's comment. It was true, Regina was the biggest health nut he knew. Most of it was for her health condition though and not to maintain her figure even if that was a side effect.

"You, you are beautiful to me. Your "baby weight" means that you've carried a child, our child. In that body we created a life and I love you more for it every day. When I look at Neal, I can't help but to feel such joy and happiness and you gave me that, how could I not love your body? How could I not love to look at it? Your boobs, are more awesome, and so's your ass." Mary – Margaret let out a chuckle. She shook her head and brought her arms around David's neck to pull him closer. Her lips grazed his nose before capturing his lips in a soft kiss. She picked a good one. He was sappy, but not in a bad way. He was sappy in a way that made her abandon all her insecurities. Sappy in a way that made her feel loved and cherished that no guy before him had ever made her feel. Once the kiss was finished, David pulled back once more to stare into his wife's eyes.

"David," Mary – Margaret whispered, "if we're going to do anything we better get a move on, Neal might wake up."

"Oh? Well why don't we just stop here?" Mary – Margaret's eyes went wide.

"What? No? We can't stop, I'm kinda worked up here and it's all your fault. You and your kisses and your overly dramatic compliments." David looked offended, only a little bit.

"What? I just want to please you and I cannot effectively do that in what precious few moments we have before our son awakens. So you'll just have to settle for this." And with that, David peppered kisses across her chest, nipping at her breasts that have gone taught with anticipation. David massaged one breast while his mouth busied with the other, sucking and licking and grinning when it became a stiff peak. Mary – Margaret watched her husband with strange curiosity while rubbing circles on his back, feeling his muscles expand and contract. Just as David switched his mouth over to her other breast, Mary – Margaret heard a small whimpering sound.

"Shhh, maybe he's not really awake," David cautioned his wife. For yes, he was giving Mary – Margaret all sorts of pleasure that the only way to properly express her gratitude was with deep moans and groans that she couldn't quite keep quiet.

"Don't 'Shhh' me. This is really all your fault. We might as well get up now. Regina is coming over this morning to oversee delivery and to pick up Neal so we don't have to leave the apartment." Mary – Margaret placed her hand on David's chest to stop his ministrations and pushed him so that he fell to her side. She pulled back the covers, replaced her nightgown and walked over to the crib where Neal was already standing, looking at her with curious eyes.

"Up." It was one of the few words Neal knew. Regina always commented on Neal's limited vocabulary given that Mary – Margaret was a teacher. It used to bother Mary – Margaret a little bit but, now she just responded to Regina's comments with "I just want him to be young and innocent for as long as possible. The world is cruel enough." Regina wouldn't respond much after that. Mary – Margaret picked up Neal and cuddled him close. He laid his head on her shoulder. She stood there rocking him for a minute before he picked his head back up and started surveying the room around him. She took him over to the changing table to change him out of is night time diaper. As she should stood there changing him she called out to David, "Hey David! Do you think we should start trying to potty train Neal?" David was in the kitchen getting started on coffee.

"Um, yeah, sure. I don't see why not, yeah?" Mary – Margaret nodded her head in agreement even though David couldn't see her.

Her little boy was growing up. First potty training, then school and girls and marriage and grandkids. Oh goodness how could she stop time? She couldn't, she knew and tears pricked her eyes, threatening to fall.

"Well now Neal, let's get you all changed, okay? And then we'll go join Daddy for breakfast. How does that sound?" The small boy gave a small whine as she busied with taking off his sleeper and wiping him down with a warm washcloth. She changed his diaper and redressed him with just a pair of sleeper pants and left him topless. She had learned long ago that it was pointless in dressing him in an outfit for a day out before he had his breakfast. He would just mess up all his clothes. The warm smell of coffee wafted through the loft. Mary – Margaret's stomach let out a low grumble. It was a bit past the time she usually ate breakfast. With one last longing look at her son and smoothing back his hair with her hand, she picked him and whisked him away to the kitchen area. She sat him in his high chair while David brought over their coffee and a bowl of dry cereal for Neal to munch on.

"So, what are the plans for the day?" David asked.

"Well, I thought we could eat breakfast here while we waited for Regina to get here. I'm not actually sure how long that is supposed to take. Depending on when she's finished will determine our next activity." Mary – Margaret finished as she took a sip of her coffee, letting it warm her through.

"Okay, I understand that, but what are we going to dooo?" David emphasized. Mary – Margaret let out a small chuckle. Her husband could be a goof sometimes. She loved that about him, he wasn't always so serious. It helped keep her mellowed out. They were good together in that way. She was a little neurotic when it came to Neal, but now that she had some years under her belt with the small child and teaching, she was perfectly content to not hover over him. Well, except when it came to night time. Night time they all snuggled together on the Queen – sized bed. She knew the time would come when the little boy would want to go off exploring all on his own and so while he was content to fall asleep in his parents' arms each night she would hold on to that as long as possible. She let out a shy grin before responding to David.

"You'll just have to wait and see, won't you?"

"Well, what if I had something planned as well and wanted to know how exactly to work it in?"

"Not. Telling. I'll let you know if it interferes. Now, what's for breakfast?"

"What's for breakfast? I made the coffee!"

"Yes, I know that David, now make breakfast too!"

"Okayyy. How does dry cereal sound?"

"That sound positively horrid. The delivery should be here soon, as well as Regina. Why don't you walk over to Granny's and get us a big breakfast? We cook enough."

"Yeah, we also eat enough at Granny's. I get the hint though, you want me out of the house."

"Well, the delivery is a surprise for Robin. She doesn't want you spoiling it."

"Hey! I can keep a secret you know."

"Uh huh, sure. Hurry up and put some clothes on." Mary – Margaret smacked David's arm as he stood up to head upstairs and take a quick shower and dress. Mary – Margaret shook her head, took another sip of coffee and glanced down at her son. He finished his cereal and was now slapping his bowl around on the table of his high chair. She ruffled his hair and reached to pull him out of the chair. She took him back over to the bed and went back over his sticky face and hands with the wash cloth. She put him on a blue Finding Nemo t shirt and socks on his feet. She walked over to the sitting area and pulled out some toys before turning on the tv to watch the morning news. The weatherman was forecasting out into the next week. It was to be relatively mild, the temperatures not climbing any higher than 55°F. She heard David coming down the stairs and she pulled herself off the couch.

"It's supposed to be nice out later today. You might want to take a light jacket though." David nodded his head and headed back over to the coffee pot to refresh his cup. There was a knock on the door. Mary – Margaret walked over to answer the door before David could.

"Regina, what a nice surprise!" Regina pursed her lips and eyed Mary – Margaret.

"You know good and well I was coming over this morning."

"Well, yes we did, but I wasn't sure what time."

"I wanted to get here before the delivery guys. Have they gotten here yet?"

"Nope, it's just you so far. Would you like to come in?" Mary – Margaret prompted. She stood to the side to allow Regina to pass through. Regina stepped through into the loft and Mary – Margaret noticed the gift bag in her hands.

"Oh is that a gift?" Regina looked down at her hands and looked back up at Mary – Margaret, looking a little startled.

"Oh, um yes," then she leaned forward to whisper, "but I'd prefer to give it to you without David here."

"Oh, Regina! I am so touched! But now you've got me curious as to what this might be, you never just give presents."

"Well, don't get too excited, it's just a Thank You gift for letting me store my purchase here until Christmas." By this time David was dressed and ready to head out to Granny's.

"Well this must be something super special for you to hide it here, what is it?" David asked as he approached the two women. Regina regarded him for a moment before responding.

"I am not telling you, or you, for that matter," Regina looked pointedly first at David and then at Mary – Margaret. "It's for Robin and I don't want you to spoil the surprise. But," she said as she looked back at David, "I will need your help in getting this to my house on Christmas. Do you think you can handle that?" Mary – Margaret and David looked at each other.

"Uh yeah sure. I'm sure we can get it loaded onto David's truck. We don't have to be over there super early in the morning, do we? We would like to spend some of that just the three of us."

"Oh yes, that's fine, I don't want to terribly interrupt your Christmas plans, I'm not that heartless," Regina said.

"Great! Maybe we could invite Emma and Killian over? Have a nice Christmas afternoon dinner maybe?" Mary – Margaret suggested.

"Hmmm, that sounds doable. Now, weren't you headed somewhere?" Regina asked David.

"Me? Yeah, I was headed out to Granny's to grab us some breakfast."

"Great, I will take a double order French Toast and a double order of bacon." Both Mary – Margaret and David's eyes went wide at Regina's audacity to request breakfast. Clearly David meant breakfast for Mary – Margaret and David.

"Um, Regina, I meant breakfast for me and Mare." Regina's faced dropped a little.

"Well, I'm feeling rather famished." Mary – Margaret pulled Regina towards her, seeing tears make their way towards the corners of Regina's eyes.

"David, don't be rude, Regina is a guest. I would also like an order of French Toast, with strawberries and link sausage. And maybe get some eggs for Neal?" David nodded his head and went out the door. Regina turned back towards Mary – Margaret, relief washing over her face.

"Thank you Mare. I'm not sure what's wrong with me. One minute I can barely keep anything down, the next I'm ravenous."

"It's okay, Regina, David's just a little anxious to get our day sans Neal started and you're kind of hampering things." Regina pulled back to consider her friend, looking a little taken aback.

"Well, I never! I am _so_ sorry! This little parasite is sucking the life out of me. I'm sorry to be an inconvenience." Mary – Margaret slapped Regina's arm and pulled her towards the couch so they could sit.

"Quit it with the dramatics. We love having you over. Neal's excited to spend the day with you, aren't you buddy?"

"Gina! Up!" The little boy abandoned his toys on the floor and approached Regina. She pulled the little boy into her lap and he started fussing with the gift bag she still had in her hand.

"Honestly Mare, why doesn't he know more words? And here, this is for you…and David." Mary – Margaret rolled her eyes and pulled out the tissue paper from on top of the small package inside the gift bag Regina handed to her. She finally pulled out the small box and gasped.

"Regina, what is this for? Condoms, really?"

"Yes," Regina started, lightly bouncing Neal in her lap and pursing her lips before continuing, "I thought you could use them on your 'day sans Neal'. We wouldn't want any more accidents, would we? I don't want to be pregnant at the same time you are. It'll take all the attention away from me." Mary – Margaret chuckled and rolled her eyes at her friend.

"Honestly, Regina. Did you think of this all by yourself? Or did Emma help you out with this? This seems like something Emma would do."

"Who said Emma is the only one to give gag gifts? I have a sense of humor, you know."

"Yeah, sure you do," Mary – Margaret rolled her eyes and got up to put the box of condoms by the bedside so Neal wouldn't get into them. She returned to the living area of the loft to find Regina playing Peek – a – Boo with Neal. It was the cutest thing. "So, what is this mystery package that Robin can't find out about?" She asked when she went to sit down. Neal reached out his arms towards her to sit in her lap and slap her cheeks a little.

"I'm not sure I want to tell you."

"Come on Regina, you can tell me. I've kept your secret about the pregnancy, haven't I?"

"Oh yes, you did such a great job keeping that secret, even from me!"

"See? I can totally keep a secret!" Mary – Margaret laughed at herself. Neal climbed off her lap and motioned towards the tv. Finding Nemo had gone off and was replaced by the screen saver for the DVD player. Mary – Margaret picked up the remote control and restarted the movie.

"Well, the other day when we met you at Granny's from a fun – filled day of Christmas shopping?"

"And paint? For the nursery, I presume?"

"Hey, don't interrupt me, do you want to know or not?" Mary – Margaret nodded her head for Regina to continue. "Well Robin was shopping with Roland and I was shopping with Henry and when Henry and I went to find them, they were in the baby store, looking at cribs," Regina finished off with a flourish of her hand. Mary – Margaret's eyes widened slightly and tilted her head, indicating she wanted Regina to continue on with her story. Regina glanced down at Neal and sat silent for a moment.

"Is the, is it, oh my gosh – did you buy him the crib?!" Mary – Margaret exclaimed in realization.

"Shh, no need to be so loud! Yes, I bought him the crib."

"Oh my goodness Regina that's great! He's going to love it!"

"Yes yes, I'm sure he will. This is why I need you and David to bring it over on Christmas Day."

"Of course! Of course we will do that for you!" Mary – Margaret leaned over to give Regina a hug. She sobbed a little into her friend's shoulder. "Why are you crying?"

"I don't actually know. You know how much I hate to ask people for help."

"It's okay, that's what friends are for. We're happy to help. He's going to be so surprised! Have you told the kids yet?" Regina looked down into her lap.

"No, we haven't yet. We thought we'd tell everyone on Christmas."

"Tell everyone on Christmas what?" David asked as he entered the loft carrying everyone's breakfast. Regina and Mary – Margaret looked at each other. Even though Mary – Margaret had already told David that Regina was pregnant, she didn't want Regina to know that he knew.

"It's a surprise David. We're not telling you. Now go set that stuff up in the kitchen. We'll be there in a moment." Mary – Margaret leaned over to whisper into Regina's ear. "We're going to have to tell him, you're having the crib delivered here. Think of it as practice for telling everyone else." Regina nodded her head and made a move to stand up to eat the wonderful smelling French Toast wafting from the kitchen area. Mary – Margaret followed Regina to the dining area.

"Want something to drink Regina?"

"Yeah sure, I'll take a coffee."

"Coffee, Regina?"

"Yes, Mary – Margaret. I will have a coffee. Thank. You." Regina spoke tersely. Mary – Margaret wandered over to the kitchen to where David was plating out the food. She leaned over to whisper into his ear.

"Hey David, Regina's going to tell you she's pregnant. I know you already know, but she doesn't know that you know so I need you to act surprised, okay?" David slowly nodded his head so as not to call attention to himself from Regina. He finished plating out the food and took the plates to the table, two by two. Mary – Margaret followed him with their coffee. Regina wasted no time in tucking into her food. David was amazed at how much she was eating. Even if she was eating for two, he figured she would still be a little more health conscious. He figured she'd eat oatmeal and fresh fruit with yogurt. Certainly not French Toast and bacon.

"So, Regina, enjoying breakfast?" David prompted as he started in on is meal of eggs, sausage, toast and grits. Regina looked up at him, mid – bite before she slowly nodded her head.

"Yes David, thank you for bringing this. In my haste to get over here I forgot to eat."

"What time is your delivery getting here? Mary – Margaret has some things planned for us today and we can't wait to get started, right?" Mary – Margaret paused in mid – bite before slowly nodding her head in agreement. She didn't want to rush the woman.

"I do have some things planned out but nothing that can't wait until the delivery gets here."

"Good. I was hoping they'd be here by nine o'clock. We just need to find a place to stash it where Robin won't see it if he comes over."

"What is it exactly that we're hiding?" Regina dropped her fork, startled by David's directness.

"David! Don't be rude. We're doing Regina a favor, it's what friends do, no questions asked."

"Yeah, well unless it's a dead body. Is it a dead body Regina?" Both Mary – Margaret and Regina rolled their eyes at David's absurdity. Regina scoffed before responding.

"No, it's not a dead body. If you must know, it is a crib. There, are you happy now?" She got up, having finished her meal and walked her plate over to the sink to rinse it off. Mary – Margaret slapped David's arm. Regina walked back over to the table to sit down and finish nursing her coffee. "We were waiting until Christmas to make this announcement. We haven't told the boys yet and the only people Robin thinks that knows this information are me, him and the doctor. So please keep your mouth shut, do you think you can do that, David?" David swallowed. He hadn't known it was such a touchy subject. He nodded his head. "Well then, Robin and I are expecting a baby. I caught him looking at cribs so I decided to get him one. I wanted to surprise him with it for Christmas and subsequently announce it to everyone. We have an appointment later this week and if everything went well I told Robin we could announce it and start doing things to get ready for the baby."

"W-, well of course we'll keep your secret. Sorry, I didn't mean to pry."

"Well now that you know my deep, dark secret, what's yours?"

"What?" Just then a knock came from the door. Mary – Margaret stood up.

"That must be your delivery. Come on Regina, why don't we let them in and find a spot and you can be on your way and we can get our day started."

* * *

"What a rough morning, who knew Regina was so touchy?"

"David, be nice. This is a really big thing for her! Now let's forget all about this morning and focus on the rest of the day and night we have for ourselves, okay?" Mary – Margaret leaned into her husband and kissed his neck. She loved the smell of his aftershave. It smelled of warmth, if there was such a thing, and comfort. And safety and security and love. He loved her enough to shave the ticklish stubble from his beard. Especially if they were getting into shenanigans later. Perhaps she was glad Regina brought over condoms. Mary – Margaret hadn't transitioned back to her birth control pill as of yet and they definitely didn't need another baby while Neal was still in diapers. Potty training was definitely on her list of New Year's Resolutions for the upcoming year. She pulled away from David's neck and held him at arm's length. She studied his features, noticing the scar on his chin from some childhood incident. She ran her fingers over it before tracing over his lips, their memory from this morning still burned on her lips. David stared back into her eyes before grabbing onto her fingers, stopping the soft glides across his lips. He brought her wrist to his lips and kissed it ever so gently and then sucked on her pulse point. He wasn't sure what his wife had in plan for them, but he hoped she wouldn't mind the sudden detour he planned. Mary – Margaret gasped as David pulled her arm towards him, tucking it between them. He grasped her and brought her close to drop a soft kiss upon her lips. Her eyes closed at the contact, inhaling a sharp breath. David finished the kiss with a smile against her lips. "Breathe, dear, breathe." Mary – Margaret chuckled and released the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"Sorry, it's been a while that we've taken anytime to be this way with one another," she lightly chuckled out.

"It has indeed, so let's not waste any more of it, hmm?" He asked as he leaned down once more to capture his wife's lips. It was a short kiss at first, but Mary – Margaret responded more eagerly, teasing her tongue across David's lips, shoving its way through. David obliged and parted his lips to receive her tongue. Their tongues danced in a sweet harmony, just relishing not being interrupted by a two – year old. David's hands began to drift up and down Mary – Margaret's sides while Mary- Margaret's hands hooked around David's neck, urging him closer. His hands found the bottom of her shirt and eased it up a bit so his hand could sneak all the way up to her breasts. He rubbed the soft mounds of flesh without the parting of their ever deepening kisses. His hand snuck around to her back and unclasped her bra. She chuckled a little, feeling quite like a school girl. Now with her breasts free, David was able to palm them, massaging them, taking each nipple between his fingers and rolling them. Mary – Margaret shifted her hands from David's neck down towards his pants. She undid his button and unzipped the zipper. She gave the pants a light shove. David did his best to shimmy the pants down and step out of them. Now that his pants were off, David decided to pull Mary – Margaret out of her bra and shirt and he did just that. He stepped back to admire her just as he did in the earlier hours of the morning. She was beautiful. Her breasts were more fuller, more rounder and even though her body showed marking of her pregnancy he found her more irresistible for that very fact. She let out another shy giggle.

"What? Don't do that."

"Don't do what?"

"Stare, it makes me nervous."

"Oh, my dear don't be nervous. I find you incredibly, delectably, sexy and you are all mine and if I want to gaze at your beauty, you can not stop me."

"Oh, I can't?" She asked as she took his hands and intertwined hers through them. David shook his head.

"Nope, you can not. Now, let's move this over to somewhere we'll be more comfortable, whadya say?" She nodded her head and directed him over to the bed. She pushed him down into a seated position before climbing on top and ground her hips ever so slightly. David let out a moan. "My dear, you have on too many clothes." Mary – Margaret looked at him shyly and stood back up. David reached forward and pulled down her pants, taking her panties along with them. She was fully bare before him. She reached forward and pulled his shirt from his torso. They stared at each other for a few moments before she stepped in between his legs so they were flush against each other. David buried his head in between her breasts, savoring the scent they gave off, enticing him. He began slow delicate kisses across them, taking one nipple into his mouth while palming the other. Mary – Margaret let out small gasps at the unexpectedness of his caress. She made a mental note that her breasts seemed a bit more tender than usual. He continued his assault, switching breasts. She held his head close to her chest, reveling the feeling and the sensations she was starting to feel elsewhere. Her hands drifted lower and she spread her feet apart. She stroked herself lightly, sending a shudder through her body. David paused with a nipple in his mouth and stared up at her with a cheeky grin. He released her nipple and dragged his hand across her belly and replaced her hand with his. He dipped one finger into her folds as she shuddered out a sigh. She was wet, practically dripping on his hand already. He let out a soft chuckle. "It has been a while, hasn't it, my love?" Mary – Margaret just nodded her head, it was all she could do to not make any noise. She wasn't sure why she was trying to be quiet, they were the only ones in the loft. "Don't be afraid, let it out." She gasped more loudly as he slid in two more fingers and sped up his ministrations. She soon found herself writhing unable to keep her balance. David braced her back as she started coming undone with his quick motions. His name shuddered across her lips. He was quite pleased with himself. He found himself getting quite worked up as well, his manhood growing ever so taught with anticipation. He stopped. Mary – Margaret opened her eyes that had shut. She stared down at her husband to see him giving himself soft strokes. He replaced one and began rubbing her now swollen clit. She shook her head and removed his hand from his dick. She began stroking it for him. She started at the tip and worked her way downward. He bit back a moan. She dragged her hand back up and gave him a few more pumps. "I don't think I can hold out much longer, Mare." David said and he tried to pull Mary – Margaret onto his lap, but she resisted.

"What? Don't get me all worked up here." She let out a soft chuckle and reached to the side.

"Here, Regina brought these over for us to use." David's mouth dropped open.

"Did you tell her all your plans?"

"No, just that we wanted a proper night to ourselves. She's an adult. She figured it out. She said she didn't want to be pregnant at the same time as me."

"We're always careful."

"I know, but I don't want to chance it. My breasts are really tender which means I've probably ovulated. Do you want to chance it?" David looked down at his softening dick. He shook his head no. Mary – Margaret leaned forward and kissed him before opening the box. "Wow, she got us the economy package. I wonder how much sex she thought we were going to have today." David resumed stroking himself while Mary – Margaret separated one of the packs from the strips of packs. She carefully peeled apart the wrapping so as not to damage the condom. She handed it to David to slip on. David then pulled Mary – Margaret towards him. She climbed on top of his lap, hovering just a moment to allow him to place his penis inside. She sank slowly, allowing her body to adjust to him. They sat there for a moment. David rubbed her thighs and began encouraging a rhythm. Up and down and a thrust. It was slow at first, building to a crescendo. David grabbed his wife's ass for more leverage. She seemed a being all unto herself like he'd never seen before. She usually considered where he was throughout their love-making, if he was being satisfied. She was giving in that way, but today, it seems, her hormones were driving her. She braced one hand on his chest as she leaned back with the other hand bracing his thigh as she changed the angle. He could feel contractions pulsing around his penis, knowing she was about to explode. He picked up the pace. He wanted them to cum together. She screamed out his name and stilled. David could feel the buildup and resumed his thrusts inside her for a few minutes more. She didn't mind. She settled back into a rhythm, rolling her hips. She slid up his shaft until it was almost completely out before settling back down again. Oh, she may have come but she could definitely feel a round two approaching. She leaned into David. Her thighs were starting to cramp. He stood up and her legs wrapped around his waist. He placed her onto the bed and slid her to the edge. He leaned over her and began thrusting. She pulled back her legs and held them open so David could go deeper. It was the best feeling in the world for him. He thrust, once, twice and one third final time, letting his orgasm over take him. He laid on top of his wife for a moment to allow himself to soften a bit before pulling out. He pulled the condom off and dropped it into the waste basket by the bed. He offered his hand to his wife and she pulled him down beside her. Their bodies were covered with a sheen that left them both with the afterglow of their love – making and it was wonderful. Mary – Margaret snuggled into her husband's side and they fell asleep, exhausted.

It was a few hours later that Mary – Margaret opened her eyes to see that her husband was absent from his side of the bed and that she'd been covered with their sheets and thick cover. She could smell food. Her stomach grumbled a bit, reminding her that the last time she'd eaten was early this morning and she wasn't sure what time it was now. She glanced over to the bedside clock. It was nearly four o 'clock. All her plans for a day sans Neal were practically out the window. She threw the covers to the side. She was still naked. She swung her feet to the floor and picked up the clothes she and David discarded earlier. She felt sticky and in desperate need of a shower. She went to the washroom and showered off. After about ten minutes she emerged feeling quite refreshed. Although she enjoyed her day with just David, her heart ached just a little bit knowing she wouldn't see her little man for many more hours. She dressed in some yoga pants and one of David's oversized shirts and headed down the stairs and over to the kitchen where David was plating up grilled chicken sandwiches and salad.

"Hey you, thought you might be hungry. Did you sleep well?"

"Mmmhmm, that was amazing. I can't remember the last time we've done anything like that."

"Probably not since before Neal I would reckon."

"Yeah, but I miss him so."

"I know. We'll have him back in the morning." They sat down at the table and ate in silence for a few minutes, famished from their earlier activities. David let out a light chuckle. Mary – Margaret looked curiously over him with a shy grin. Soon they were both laughing uncontrollably.

"Why," Mary – Margaret began in between laughs, "Why are we laughing?"

"Because we are! We're happy! We're alive! We're together! And it's so amazing I can't help but to laugh because it just feels so damn good." They stood and pulled each other into a hug. They stood like that, dancing to a silent tune until their laughter died down. David pulled back to look at his wife. "I know you had this big day planned out for us and we've practically wasted it by sleeping and stuff, but you what?" Mary – Margaret shook her head. "I couldn't imagine a better way to spend a day with you. Why don't we just stay in and curl up in front of the tv and watch something on Netflix?"

"I think that sounds like a most wonderful idea." They chucked their dishes into the sink, not bothering to rinse them off and load the dishwasher and headed over to the sofa in front of the tv. They chose some sappy Christmas movie and cuddled up in each other's arms, blissfully in love.

* * *

Thanks for reading! I'm not one for begging for reviews because I just enjoy writing the story, but they do mean a lot to me and I would love it if I got some more - hopefully constructive, if you love, if you don't like it (but be gentle and tell me why). Again, thanks for the faves and follows and Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy (belated) Diwali, Happy Holidays in general. May it be filled with love and laughter and happiness.

H. A.


	17. A Christmas Story

Can't believe I managed to pull this off! I have an idea for the second part. You might not get it tonight though. Gotta open presents and such and spend time with family. I do hope you enjoy the read!

* * *

It was a little late in the morning, Regina could tell. She felt a lot more rested than she usually does when it comes to a regular day filled with getting herself and the rest of her family ready for the day. Especially with her new job of creating new life. She absently stroked her belly that seemed a little more taught this morning. She could feel butterflies dancing all the way up into her chest giddy with excitement of finally getting to share her news with her closest friends. She also felt someone staring at her. Her eyes snapped open to two smaller eyes staring right back at her. They were the eyes of a young boy filled with innocence, but he was far from it. She was pretty sure she'd locked the bedroom door before retiring to bed with her husband, just in case setting out Christmas presents led to other late night activities. That darn bump of hers had other plans. Plans that included sapping all her energy. It was really good at doing that. She couldn't recall feeling this exhausted when she was pregnant with Henry. That was years and a lifetime ago, it seemed. The pair of eyes watched her intently before a finger came out of nowhere to tap her on the nose. She blinked her eyes to gain focus.

"Roland," she mustered out, her voice laden with sleep. "What time is it?"

"I don't know mama. I can't tell time." Regina couldn't help but to chuckle at that. She rolled onto her back and let out a sigh. Roland moved a little further down the bed so he could climb in beside her. That's when she noticed Robin's side of the bed was, well, empty. She sat up with a start.

"Roland, where's your father?"

"Um he's, he's downstairs making Christmas breakfast. He said it's almost ready and to see if her majesty was up yet." Regina chuckled again and pulled Roland down with her to cuddle him against her side. "What are we doing mama? It's time to eat! Then we can open presents! Daddy said so!"

"He did, did he?" Roland shook his head in the affirmative.

"Uh – huh," he said while pulling from Regina's grasp and pulling on her arms to drag her into a seated position, as well as he could for he was still a small little boy. Regina flopped back down on the pillows that seemed to have multiplied now that baby Hood was making its presence known.

"Mama, come on! Get up!"

"Roland! I sent you up here to see if she was awake, not to actually wake her." Robin scolded his son.

"But she is awake! Her eyes openeded up! I saw! She even talked! She asked me where you were." Roland explained with a pout. Regina smiled with her eyes closed and opened them when she felts Robin's presence.

"Regina, love, are you going to get out of bed? I don't know if I can contain Roland for much longer." Regina shook her head and mumbled something a tad incoherent before shutting her eyes and snuggling down in the blankets.

"Roland, why don't you head back downstairs for a moment while daddy sees if he can't wake up Sleeping Beauty here, okay?"

"Okay daddy, but don't take too long!" Roland scampered out of their room with his warning. Robin sat on the side of the bed and gazed at Regina. She had gotten to sleep a little later but it seemed she still wasn't really rested. He stroked her forehead and let his hand wander down to her cheek and rest there for a moment. She squinted her eyes open and let out an exasperated sigh.

"Didn't get much sleep, did you?" She shook her head.

"Not in the least. It took me forever to asleep what with putting out all the presents, oh the adrenaline rush and my back, my goodness."

"I told you to just let me pull out all the presents. I can follow directions on where they should go."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry; I should've listened to you." Robin let out a chuckle.

"What was that? Are you admitting that I was right about something?" Regina let out a moan before rolling over to the other side.

"Don't make me say it. Inferring should be enough for you." Robin let out another chuckle before gingerly rubbing her low back. She arched at his touch at first, but soon relaxed into his ministrations. "My god, where were your hands last night?" She sighed out.

"Well, they were other places, if you do recall." She grinned at his response. He continued kneading her back for a few more minutes before a pitter patter of feet could be heard coming up the stairs. It wasn't long before a small body launched itself onto the bed.

"Roland!" Robin yelled harshly at the boy who began to cry. Robin had scared him. Robin was more afraid of what damage the little boy could cause Regina and the unborn child she carried. Roland was still not exactly self – aware that he could possibly injure someone. Robin scooped the little boy up and began to rock him, hoping to soothe his tears. Regina rolled over and sat up. She situated herself against the pillows and reached out to take Roland from Robin. Robin climbed into bed and sat the little boy between the two of them.

"Roland, son, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, but you have to be careful around Regina, okay? No roughhousing." Roland looked up between the two of them, slightly confused. Regina used to roughhouse with him and Henry and daddy.

"Why not? We used to."

"Well, not anymore, okay? At least not for a while."

"But why?"

"Because, because mommy has a sore back." Roland looked back and forth between his parents again, trying to decide if he believed them. Henry appeared in the doorway, rubbing sleep from his eyes. He walked over to the bed and flopped down.

"Did you stay up late waiting for Santa, young man?" Regina joked.

"Did you see him Henry? Didya? Didya?" Roland pestered his older brother. Henry winked his eyes open. He didn't see Santa, he was too focused on his comic books. He wanted to get done reading them so he could immediately start on the next set he asked Santa for. He shook his head, "No Ro, I didn't see him. But I heard him downstairs! I didn't want to chance him seeing me spy on him, so I just stayed in my bed." Roland looked down at his hands in his lap, a little saddened. "Oh," he sighed out.

"But that doesn't mean he didn't come, does it? You said there were presents under the tree, didn't you?" Regina said, bopping the boy on the nose. He shook his head yes. Henry then climbed onto the bed and nestled himself against Regina. She scooted over ever so slightly to allow Henry a little more room on their bed. She thought they might need a bigger bed if she expected to fit five bodies onto it. She chuckled lightly. They sat there cuddled together for a moment before Roland dragged everyone's attention back to the task at hand.

"Can we go open presents now?"

"How about we eat first? Hmm?" Robin suggested.

"But we're all up here! How can we have breakfast downstairs if we're upstairs?" His logic was impeccable.

"I know! Why don't we have Christmas Day breakfast in bed? Then we'll all head downstairs to see what Santa brought, how does that sound?"

"Okay, but you promise not to get seconds mama? It always takes you longer when you do that and you're getting squishy," Roland exclaimed as he reached across a pudgy finger to poke Regina's belly. She supposed she was starting to gain noticeable weight. Robin caught Roland's hand.

"Roland, that's not very nice. Where did you hear that?"

"The kids at school. They said if you get seconds you get squishy! And mama gets seconds and look! She's squishy."

"Well, that's still not a very nice thing to say about someone, okay? We love everyone, no matter how squishy they are okay?"

"Okay papa. Can we get food now? My tummy's eating me!" Robin pulled Roland off the bed and set him on the floor.

"Hey Henry, why don't you catch up with Roland downstairs, I'll only be a few moments with your mom, okay?" Henry nodded his head and reluctantly slid off the bed to follow Roland down the stairs. Robin leaned onto the bed to gather Regina into his arms. She sniffled a little bit and he caressed her arms, up and down.

"Who knew kids that young had body issues? He didn't mean anything by it, dear." She sniffled once more.

"I know, but it's true, I am getting squishy." She'd sat up by now, pulled out of his grasp and motioned towards her belly. Robin pulled her forward a bit and shifted himself so that he was seated behind her. He clasped the small, imperceptible bulge and stroked it tenderly.

"You are not squishy, you are with child and it is beautiful. And I think you are all the more beautiful for it. Roland just doesn't know there's a baby in there and that sometimes mama needs to eat seconds, or thirds and desert." Regina let out a soft chuckle, causing tears to streak down her face.

"I have been rather gluttonous, haven't I? I just can't help it! I think I'm making up for those first few weeks where I could hardly keep anything down. I do need to be more mindful of what I'm eating, starting after today. Because we're going to have an awesome amazing Christmas dinner and it won't really matter how much I eat because then everyone will already know I'm feeding this parasite." Robin pulled her hands underneath his so they both could stroke her belly. Roland appeared in the doorway again. He was a little impatient.

"Are you playing with mama's squishy? Is that why you're still up here? Henry's making the breakfasts, but we need help to get it up the stairs." Robin and Regina paused. He pecked a kiss to her cheek and extracted himself from behind his wife to follow his son downstairs. Regina let out a contented sigh. She dragged herself from underneath the cozy sheets and blankets and straightened up the bed some. She flicked on the tv to the channel that was airing _A Christmas Story_ the entire day. It was somewhat of a tradition. She and Daniel would watch the movie, just the two of them after they returned home from spending the entire day at her parents' house. It was something for just the two of them and they looked forward to sharing it with their children. While she continued on the tradition with their son, she didn't think Daniel would mind if she included Robin and Roland and Baby Hood in the tradition as well.

She was startled out of her reverie by the clanking of glass onto ceramic. Her boys made it up the stairs with the Christmas breakfast. The ever so eager Roland appeared in the doorway with his tray first. She took it from him so he could properly situate himself on the bed. She set the tray on the table and picked out a towel from the closet to spread on the bed. Then she returned the tray to Roland who was eager to start his breakfast and then move on to presents.

"Ah ah, Roland, please wait for your father and Henry. It wouldn't be fair to start without them now, would it?" Roland pouted a little bit. Henry came in next, with Robin bringing up the rear. Henry perched himself on the edge of the bed next to Roland and settled his tray in his lap. Robin motioned for Regina to sit back on her side of the bed, nestled against her pillows. He set their trays down on the dresser so he could drape a towel across her lap. Finally they were all seated to enjoy breakfast in bed and watch a little bit of the movie Regina put on for them. Most of the jokes were above Roland's comprehension. It was quite cute to watch him laugh when all the adults laughed even when he had no idea what was going on. Soon, Regina's plate was cleaned and Robin noticed her eyeing his last two remaining pieces of bacon. Her hand absently snuck over to his plate, which he lightly popped. She snatched her hand back and looked at him slightly offended. She motioned to her 'squishy' and he acquiesced, placing both pieces for her to scoop up the last little bit of syrup. She let out a small yawn.

"Hey boys, why don't we take these trays downstairs and load them in the dishwasher? I can turn the movie on downstairs."

"But when are we gonna open presents?" Roland said as he too let out a slight yawn. It was getting to be about time for his midmorning nap at school, which Regina thought was perfect because she could feel the fingers of sleep tugging at her. A nap sounded wonderful.

"Uh, as soon as we get all this put away, okay?" Robin responded. He walked around to Regina's side of the bed, picked up her tray and kissed away the dribble of syrup that landed on the side of her lips. He whispered in her ear, "Maybe if I turned the movie on he'll drift off to sleep? You look like you could use a few more hours of sleep." Regina reached up and grabbed his cheek with one hand.

"You know me so well, thief. A midmorning nap sounds quite enticing. I missed your arms this morning. Do you think you could join me?"

"I'd be delighted! Let me go check on the boys first." He pecked Regina on the nose and hurried down the stairs. Henry had already turned on the tv and Roland cuddled up against him to continue the twenty – four hour binge watching of _A Christmas Story_ as was his and his mother's custom every Christmas. Henry knew it was a tradition started by his parents and this one moment was one way he felt somewhat connected to a father he hadn't really known.

"Hey Henry, Roland, are you guys okay down here?"

"Yeah Robin, we're great."

"Good, your mom's still a bit tired and I'm afraid she's fallen asleep after such a big breakfast."

"Does that mean we're _not_ gonna open presents?" Whined Roland.

"Oh we'll open them, after everyone's had their nap."

"But I don't wanna nap! Naps are for babies and school. We're not at school and I'm a big boy, not a baby."

"I know you're not at school and you're not a baby, but your body is used to the routine. Why don't you and Henry stay down here and watch the movie? I'm gonna go back upstairs and make sure mommy only sleeps for one hour, is that alright?" Roland huffed a bit. He held up is index finger in front of his dad's face.

"Fine, one hour. Henry will you let me know when it's been one hour?" Both Henry and Robin chuckled at Roland.

"Will do buddy, will do."

Mary – Margaret, David and Neal were all cozied in their queen sized bed having succumbed to another night of co - parenting sleeping. This particular tradition she didn't think was so bad. Neal had fallen asleep close enough to his usual bed time, allowing Mary – Margaret and David to spend some quality time together the night before Christmas. Mary – Margaret worked on wrapping some last minute presents while David prepped food for Christmas Day dinner. He was making a couple of side dishes while leaving roasting a big fat turkey for Robin and Regina.

"How's it going in there?" David called out to his wife.

"Fine, it's going fine, I think."

"You think? Ha ha ha, still having trouble wrapping gifts, I see."

"Don't laugh! You know it's never been my strong suit. This is why I buy gift bags."

"I know, I know, but wrapping paper is cheaper!"

"It's not cheaper if I have to throw it away because I messed it up. And besides, you can reuse gift bags, so there!" Mary – Margaret exclaimed while sticking her tongue out at her husband. She decided to take a break and pulled herself off the floor. She joined her husband in the kitchen area to watch him cook. Man, she loved a man who could cook and wore tight jeans so she could stare at his ass while he did it. She picked up her wine glass off the counter and took a sip. She nipped a couple of cracker, cheese and summer sausage pieces from the discarded platter on the counter and chewed contentedly. She let out a long sigh and swiveled back around in the direction of the pile of presents yet to be wrapped on the floor.

"I just don't understand."

"Understand what?"

"Well, I figured with all the stuff she bought for the boys Regina would be just as behind in wrapping gifts, but alas! 'That's where you're wrong, Mare!' Apparently she wraps them as soon as she gets home. Why am I such a procrastinator?" She sighed again and slid off the chair.

"Well, I am almost done in here. I can help you finish those." Her eyes went wide.

"Really? Oh you're such a prince!" She walked around the counter to plant a kiss on his cheek.

"Yep, just a regular old Prince Charming here." David finished rinsing off the dishes he used to prep the food and stuck them in the dishwasher to let run while they finished wrapping presents. It only took them about forty – five more minutes to finish wrapping with David's help. If Mary – Margaret had to finish all by herself it probably would have taken her two hours. Mary – Margaret helped David strategically place the presents around the tree, so that all the ones they would open for themselves were in the front and the ones they were taking to Regina's were in the back.

"Did you make sure to remind Emma and Killian to stop by here first so they can help load the crib?" David shook his head, "Yep, they'll be here around eleven – ish. You know they can get a whole lot more sleeping in than any of us."

"Lucky bastards."

"You wanna watch a Christmas movie? We've got time now that you rescued me from all that present wrapping."

"Sure! What looks good?"

"I don't know, how about 'A Nightmare Before Christmas'?"

"Really? That's what you want to watch?"

"Wha? It's not your traditional sappy Christmas movie. Come on, it'll be fine!" David shrugged his shoulders and pulled his wife against him as they settled down to watch the movie. About half way through he could hear soft snores coming from his wife. He knew that was going to happen. He clicked off the tv and shook his wife ever so slightly.

"Hey Snow White, you fell asleep again," he whispered. Mary – Margaret mumbled something incoherent. He supposed he would just have to carry her to bed. He scooped her up and she subconsciously adjusted her body to the new position as he walked the few feet to their bed and slid her onto her side of the bed. He pulled the covers from underneath her and tucked her in. He smiled down at his wife and sweet son slumbering together. He then climbed into his side of the bed and joined them in the Land of Nod.

David woke to find a toe crammed up his nose. It appeared that Neal found a new sleeping position. He pulled the toe and slid out from under the covers. He went to the bathroom to get in a quick shower and start on a light breakfast fare. While he and Mary – Margaret could probably wait until the mid – afternoon for the feast at Regina's, a certain little two – year old would be a little cross about not having his dry cereal. He came down the stairs to find Mary – Margaret already starting on a pot of coffee.

"Good morning and Merry Christmas!" She greeted him. He walked over to his wife and captured her lips in his.

"Good morning indeed. Did I wake you?"

"Mmm, no, your absence did. I heard the shower running. Our little prince still slumbers on. I can't wait until he's a little older to properly enjoy this."

"Heh, I'll settle for this. A few moments early in the morning without being disturbed by little kids."

"Kids? More than one? You sure about that?" Mary – Margaret chuckled as she rounded the counter to place a bowl of Neal's cereal so that when he woke all she had to do was place him in his high chair. "I'm going to shower. Neal should be up soon, his cereal is all ready."

"Aye – aye captain."

Mary – Margaret returned a short while later feeling rather refreshed. David managed to cook up a light breakfast of toast, eggs and orange juice to go with their coffee. Neal seemed to have finished his cereal and had even gotten into some eggs, judging from his new hairstyle. She went to pick up her son. She held him her lap while she ate, making sure egg actually got into his body and not his hair. Once they were all done eating, Mary – Margaret placed Neal on the floor, grabbed his hand and led him over to the Christmas tree. They all sat down around it.

"What did Santa bring you?" Gasped Mary – Margaret as David passed her a present to help Neal open. She started peeling the wrapping paper back for the toddler until he got the hang of it and started shredding the paper himself.

"Nemo!"

"That's right! Nemo!" It was another Finding Nemo shirt. Practically everything they got for Neal was Nemo – themed. Heaven forbid the next time Regina comes over and sees that Nemo vomited all over their loft. She would probably actually vomit which would be quite unfortunate now that she was out of the morning sickness phase. Mary – Margaret was actually looking forward to the afternoon at Regina's. She was finally going to make the announcement to everyone and she could finally relax and enjoy her pregnancy.

David passed her a present. She slowly pulled the ribbon and peeled back the wrapping paper. It was a small white box. Jewelry. She smiled to herself. She opened the lid to reveal a necklace with a pendant on it, well not exactly. It was her engagement ring. She hadn't been able to fit it back on her fingers after Neal was born. They'd gone out to get another set but she really missed her original ring. She let out a little sniffle and sat up to pull David into a hug.

"Oh David, it's wonderful, thank you."

"You like it?"

"Yes, I've missed this ring. Will you put it on for me?"

"Sure thing!" David leaned forward, unclasped the necklace and draped it around his wife's neck before reclasping it. Mary – Margaret reached up to slide the ring down the necklace so it sat between her breasts. Next she pulled out a present to give to David, it was from Neal.

"Is it Nemo – related?" He let out a chuckle as he tore the wrapping paper. Mary – Margaret let out a shy giggle.

"Maybe. You know Neal and Nemo!"

David finally opened the box. It was a larger version of a Finding Nemo tie they'd gotten for Neal. He couldn't help but laugh. "Really Mare?" Mary – Margaret was shaking so hard from laughter she'd fallen onto her side. David hopped off the seat he was sitting on and he and Neal started a tickle fight.

"I give! I give! That was from Neal! This is my gift to you," she said as she passed David another box. It was rather heavy and really had him stumped.

"Ahh, the _Joy of Cooking_?"

"Yep, gotta love a man who can cook! And that apron underneath is the only thing to be worn while you're practicing. I wanna see your ass." She yelped out that last part before falling down into another fit of laughter.

Killian stood over Emma with a steaming hot cup of hot chocolate sprinkled with cinnamon in his hands. She looked utterly adorable. Well if you called balled up in the covers, one leg hanging off the bed and hair mussed about her face adorable – she was the poster girl. She might even have been drooling just a little bit. They stayed up late last night wrapping presents and watching awful Christmas movies on the Hallmark channel. He pushed the hair out of her eyes and tucked it behind her ear. She smacked her lips and brushed her hand absently in the air. She rolled over and burrowed deeper under the covers. As much as he wanted to let his girlfriend sleep 'til her heart's content, they had a schedule to keep to. A Regina schedule. It amazed him how one woman could direct the lives of so many people. Mary – Margaret and Emma seemed to be the sisters she never had. He chuckled lightly to himself and set the cup of hot chocolate on the end table next to their bed. He gently shook her.

"Emma, dear. It's time to get up. Come on love, wake up. I brought you hot chocolate." He said in a sing song voice. She moaned a little bit, a sign that she was possibly entering into the land of the living. He shook her a little bit more. "Come on, that's it."

"Ughh, what time is it? My internal body clock tells me it is not noon. I don't like waking up before noon, you know this." She commented with her eyes still closed.

"I know, but we promised Mary – Margaret and David we'd meet at their loft around eleven to help them with Robin's surprise gift. And we still have presents to open and pack up." At the word presents Emma abruptly sat up. She rubbed the side of her head and reached her hand out for the hot chocolate. So, she had heard him when he told her he made her hot chocolate. She took a sip and let the soothing liquid slide down her throat. It was cozy warm in their apartment and the hot liquid ignited her insides. She winked her eyes open at Killian and he bent down to kiss away her whipped cream mustache. They shared a laugh. She set the mug down on the bedside stable and drew herself to her knees. She pulled Killian by the collar of the housecoat he was wearing. The shared more kisses. The first one started off soft and innocent, but each one progressed a little more. Soon they were both opened-mouthed, grasping hungrily at each other. Emma's hands pulled the tie on Killian's robe so that it hung open and she ran her hands up underneath the ribbed tank top he wore to bed. Killian's hands drifted to Emma's arms, rubbing them up and down to warm her up. He pulled back to stare into her eyes.

"What?" She questioned, searching his eyes in return.

"You're beautiful. I'm glad we've gotten to know each other over the year." She scoffed.

"What year? It's only been about six months, ya big goof," she sighed as she slapped his shoulder. She made a move to grab her mug of hot chocolate and swing herself off the bed. She set her mug on the kitchen table so she could use the bathroom in the two bedroom apartment one bath apartment they shared.

"Actually, it's seven months, apparently I'm the only one that's counting," he chuckled as he took another swig of Emma's hot chocolate. She exited the bathroom brushing her teeth. It was their usual morning routine. Killian went into work at the docks early in the morning. She would wake with him and prepare her day until it was time for him to leave. She would pitter around the apartment until around ten o'clock when she would lie down for a mid – morning nap. It was her kind of work schedule and she enjoyed immensely. She returned to the bathroom to finishing brushing her teeth and to rinse off her face.

"Do we have time for a quick shower?"

"Yeah, sure, a quick one! I let you sleep til ten, so that leaves us little time to get over to the Nolans. And perhaps I should shower off as well." Emma peeked around the door frame.

"You wanna join me? Save some time, save some water?" Killian chuckled at the proposition.

"Not quite sure it would be a quick shower if I went with you. Go ahead, I'll finish making you a bite to eat."

"Fine, suit yourself."

Killian had a special gift planned for Emma. Sure it had only been seven months, but he couldn't really dream of a life without Emma Swan and he was certain she felt the same way. He made a deal with Granny to have some fresh Bear Claws for Emma for breakfast. She came through for him and he'd gone over to the diner early in the morning to pick them up from her. He also picked up a couple of other pastries to take to Regina's. Emma signed them up for the desserts because neither one of them were exactly the best cooks around town. After he set the table, he set out a little gift bag next to her freshened mug of hot chocolate and surveyed his presentation. It was another few minutes before Emma emerged from the bathroom, drying her hair and wearing a ribbed tank top with pajama bottoms.

"Oh, you grabbed breakfast! How sweet! How'd you convince Granny?" She asked as she approached the table to take a bite of the pastry.

"I told her I had something special planned for you." Emma paused and slowed down her chewing enough to swallow her bite of pastry before continuing.

"You what?"

"Here, have a seat." He pulled out the chair for her and motioned for her to sit down. She sat and he helped push her chair up to the table. She returned her pastry to the plate and turned to face Killian as he took the chair adjacent to her.

"Swan. Emma. Emma Swan. I know we've only been dating for seven months, but I feel this incredible connection to you." Emma started to protest. "No, no, no, hear me out, okay?" She paused and nodded for him to continue. "I know we've talked about marriage and all the reasons we can't see ourselves that way. It took some time to get that through my head, to accept that. But I do know I can't not have you buy my side and I can't not let the world know that we are together. And so," he said as he picked up the small gift bag and pulled out a velvet box and opened it, "will you, Emma Swan, be my non – wife?" Emma stared at him, mouth wide open. After a few seconds, her jaw started working, but no sound came out. She stood up from the table, gasping.

"Wh, wh, well, um," she stared back at him. "Your non – wife?"

"Yeah, think of this as a promise ring that we'll be together. I will respect you. You respect me. We love each other, well, I know I love you and pretty sure you said as much yourself last night," Emma blushed. "This isn't a proposal for marriage. I know that's something you're not comfortable with. As long as I know you want to be by my side for as long as you'll have me, we don't need a bloody paper. Whadya say?" After a few heartbeats she shook her head vigorously.

"Which hand does it go on?" Were the first words out of her mouth.

"Uh, hadn't really thought of that. How about the right one? No one will think it's an engagement ring and ask all sorts of weird questions." She stuck out her hand and he placed the celtic knotted band onto her finger. They pulled each other close and shared another kiss. She brought her hands to his chest and he held her there for a minutes more. She looked up into his eyes.

"Right, so about that shower? You're kinda sweaty. Regina's gonna be able to smell you from a mile away," she laughed into his chest.

"I suppose you're right. Go get dressed, I'll be ready in a jiffy." While Killian hopped in the shower, Emma finished getting dressed. She spun the promise ring around her finger, trying to adjust to the feel of it; to the weight of it. Sure she knew in her heart right in that moment that she wanted more than nothing to spend the rest of her life with Killian. She just never knew that he felt the same way. She loved him even more for understanding that she might not want to get married and how much she would appreciate this commitment from him. And now she felt kind of bad. There was no way her present would top his. Often times she felt like the guy in the relationship as far as sappiness goes. Emma pulled on a pair of corduroys and a warm cranberry sweater. She lightly dusted her face with foundation, some blush and eye – liner. She felt like sprucing up a little bit. She returned to the kitchen area to finish her bear claws and to set out her own tiny gift bag for Killian. This was how he found her when he emerged from the bedroom.

"Amazing! You're actually dressed!"

"Yeah, well we're cutting it close, wouldn't you say?" She stood up with her hands behind her back and walked into Killian. She stood on her tip toes and kissed him. She brought her hands from around her back and presented the gift bag to Killian.

"What's this here?" He asked as he pulled the tissue paper from top and pulled out a key ring with a key attached to it.

"Well, since you practically spend all your time here with me, I figured why not have your own key and maybe move in with me? Especially since we're promised to each other it seems," she spilled out all at once so it seemed words were tripping over themselves. Killian's mouth spread in a wide grin. He picked Emma up and spun her around, kissed her and set her back down on the ground.

"That would make me most happy, Swan."

* * *

Once we get through the holiday - themed stuff the fic will go back to one - shot style. Love you guys for your reviews and follows!

H. A.


	18. A Christmas Story (Part II)

Here's the second part, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Mary – Margaret reclined on the sofa while she watched her husband and son play with the Finding Nemo fishing set on the floor of their loft. The toddler still didn't quite grasp the concept of the game, forgoing the usage of the magnetized fishing pole to actually just plucking the fish out of the pond. It was adorable she thought while she sipped on her coffee. Soft Christmas music was playing in the background. It was a rather peaceful morning. She'd sent out her mass text Merry Christmas to her teacher friends earlier that morning and the return texts had recently stopped. David would shake his head every time her phone pinged. She'd grin at him in response and exclaim, "I've got more friends than you – this is easier!"

"Hey babe, it's ten thirty, Emma and Killian should be here soon. Wanna start loading the truck to head over to Regina's?" David said, looking up from Neal.

"Oh yeah, sure. I'll take the smaller presents down and then Killian can help you with the crib while me and Emma direct."

"Oh, you're gonna direct?"

"Mmmhmmm, that's what we're good at," she said, sticking out her tongue for good measure. Mary – Margaret pulled herself off the sofa to pick up Neal. She took him over to the changing table to wipe him down once more and put him on a more appropriate Christmas outfit to continue out the day's activities in. "Did you get all the food cooked and prepped too? I could load that while I'm at it!" She called out to David.

"That'd be great. You want any more of this coffee before I toss it?"

"Nope, go ahead. I'm getting kind of excited for this afternoon." Mary – Margaret carried Neal back out to the sitting area and turned on Robin Hood. She was tired of the Finding Nemo theme for today. Perhaps she could get Neal interested in another movie. Neal stood in front of the tv holding onto is stuffed Nemo, bouncing lightly on his toes as the narrating song came on for Robin Hood. Mary – Margaret thought she could even hear him singing along to the song. She was now confident that her son would occupied while they got ready to head out. David started sliding big box out into the living area. Mary – Margaret loaded the rest of the presents into a box and placed them by the door. She went into the kitchen and stacked the side dishes David prepared into another box. She grabbed the keys and opened the door to find Emma's fist in her face.

"Whoa there!"

"Emma! You startled me! I was just taking these boxes down to the car to so we're not wasting much time getting over to Regina's. Hi Killian."

"Hey Mary – Margaret," Killian responded in greeting.

"Do you need any help?" Emma offered, holding out her arms to accept the boxes from Mary – Margaret.

"That would be great! Maybe we can put the food and presents in your car? And then we can load the crib onto David's truck?" Emma looked to Killian.

"Is that okay with you Kill?" Mary – Margaret eyes went wide as she mouthed 'Kill'? Emma rolled her eyes.

"What? I haven't found a nickname that I like yet, I was just trying it out. No good?"

"No, it sounds like you're commanding a dog to attack someone."

"I'll just uh, go inside and help David while you two lasses figure out what to call me." Killian side – stepped the two ladies and shouted a greeting out to David. Emma held onto the box with the food and Mary – Margaret stooped down to pick up the box of presents.

"So this is what the fuss is all about?" Killian said as he approached David to help him slide the box across the room and over to the door.

"Yep."

"I don't get it. We all know, what's with the secrecy?"

"Regina, she's a, to put it delicately, a private person. She's got a great personality, but she's experienced some hard times in life. They kinda change a person, ya know?"

"Well yeah, who are we as a people without our experiences?"

"Right and well, Regina's experiences have left her a little worse for the wear. She can be a little strong, but when life's knocked you down a couple of times you kind of really have no choice but to come back stronger. I promised Daniel I would look after her and treat her like my second wife and Henry like my own son. Stick around long enough and you can join our crazy cobbled together family too," David finishes his comment just as his wife and Emma re – enter the loft.

"Okay, everything's loaded into Emma's bug. We just need to get Neal and you guys need to carry that down to David's truck."

"Right mate, let's get this downstairs." Killian helped David pull the box across the threshold and to the top of stairs. They coordinated picking up the box and walking it down the stairs and outside to the waiting truck.

"Wait!" Mary – Margaret called out to them. Both men turned to look at her, a little out of breath. "Let me throw a blanket in the bed of the truck so we don't scratch it."

"Mare, it's a box. It's protecting the crib. They're not gonna care if the box is slightly damaged."

"Really David? Have you not met 'Evil Queen' Regina?" Killian mouthed 'Evil Queen' to David. "She is so nervous and wants this to go perfect. She will have a cow if any of this gets ruined. I don't want to have any part of any reason this might not go the way she wants it to. Just hang on a minute while I get the blanket."

"Geez mate. I hope this is the last kid they have – that any of you lot have."

"Not interested in all these shenanigans?"

"Not in the least." David hung his head in a chuckle. Killian just didn't know how having child of your own changed your world. Perhaps one day he would get to experience and David can rag on him and remind him of this exact moment.

True to her word, Mary – Margaret returned with a blanket and Emma and Neal on her heal. She threw the blanket onto the bed of the truck and instructed David and Killian on how to lift and carefully place the box onto the truck. She checked behind David to make sure it was secured before dispersing the group towards their destination on Miflin Street.

* * *

The Mills – Hood clan overslept their allotted one hour mid – morning nap. That was perfectly fine with Regina and her squishy. She chuckled at Roland's inadvertent nick name for his younger sibling. At first she was a little hurt by his declaration that she was gaining weight. She knew that happened when one was pregnant but she was still coming to terms that she was actually pregnant. She was in the kitchen basting the turkey Robin had started on earlier in the morning. The kitchen felt warm and filled with smells that had her mouth watering. Breakfast was consumed a mere three hours ago, but hunger pains had come to claim her once more. No one would mind if she made herself a snack. She sliced the apples for her famous apple pie and set them in a pot to boil on the stove before slicing herself another apple and plating it with two tablespoons of peanut butter. And a side of pickles. She turned on the blue tooth speaker in the kitchen so she could listen to some Christmas music while she waited for everyone else to drag themselves out of sleep. She checked the time on the wall. It was around nine thirty. The Nolans and Emma and her boyfriend were supposed to arrive around eleven. Her heart raced a little at the thought. Robin knew she purchased the crib, but he had made no mention of asking where it was and for that she was grateful. Maybe he thought she changed her mind and he was accepting of her decision. The scenarios she imagined were making her nervous. Would Henry and Roland be okay with the new baby seeing as they were all just getting adjusted to this new family dynamic? Would she be able to keep the family running smoothly? How much more money would it cost to raise an additional child. Was it a boy, was it a girl? She had the second ultrasound last week that showed there was only one baby in there, a small worry to get off her mind.

She thought back to her appointment and her request of the ultrasound technologist to print out multiple pictures of the sonogram so she could give them as a gift for Christmas. She felt silly, but it made her happy to finally have a chance to share her happiness, for she truly was happy. It was getting harder with each day that passed to conceal her excitement.

She was dragged from her thoughts by a pair of strong hands kneading into her shoulders.

"Babe, you're so tense!" She hummed in response. Robin's hands were working magic and she felt herself relax into his touch. "What are you doing down here and why didn't you wake me?"

"Oh, I was just checking on the turkey and starting the pie. You looked so peaceful sleeping, didn't wanted to disturb you," she murmured as she rolled her neck around under his hands.

"We are going to have two very cross boys."

"I know, I know. I'm amazed that they're still sleeping myself." She turned to smile up at him. "Shall we wake them? Everyone will be here soon and I want to be done with our presents before we share our news."

"Yep, yeah, we can do that. Are you sure it's our news? It seems more like your news. You haven't exactly kept me in the loop other than those silly shirts you got made for the boys." She softly slapped his chest.

"Of course it's our news! We both made it happen. Don't ask too many questions, just follow my lead."

"Alrighty then, lead the way. Let's go wake up our boys." Robin offered his hands to Regina so she pull herself up. She then took her plate over to the sink and rinsed it off. She cut off the apples, drained them and set them to cool. Regina and Robin headed over to the sofa where their two slumbering boys were starting to wake.

"Mama, daddy you didn't wake us!" Roland whined as he sat up and crossed his arms.

"We are so sorry, but mommy and daddy were really tired and it looks like you guys were too. But now that we're all awake whadya say to opening some presents, hmm?"

"Yay!" Roland exclaimed, clapping his hands. He hopped up from the sofa and ran over to the tree. He picked up a present and stared at the name tag curiously.

"Can you read the name Roland?" Robin prompted his son. Roland scrunched up his face. "What's the first letter?"

"It looks like a H."

"Alright, and whose name here starts with the letter H?" Roland cocked his head to the side to think for a moment before responding.

"I know! Henry!"

"That's right. Do you want to give that present to Henry?" Roland nodded his head and walked the present over to Henry.

"Thanks Ro. I wonder this could be; it's kinda heavy." Henry shook the present a little bit before setting it on his lap and removed the ribbons and bow and tore at the paper. He lifted the cardboard box up out of the paper and peeled the packing tape to open the box. Inside he found a photo album. He looked curiously up and Robin and Regina, "Uh, thanks?" Regina chuckled and pulled the album from Henry's hands.

"Well, I figured the sentiment would be lost on you. It's pictures from our first year as a family, together. I know it's not a very exciting present, but I thought we could work on it together – kinda like scrapbooking but not as girly."

"It's okay mom, just not what I was expecting." Henry said as he flipped through the pages. "It'll be fun to fill it with more photos."

"Okay then, why don't you pick out something to give to Roland?" Henry nodded his head and slid of the sofa to choose a present for Roland. Henry wasn't at all surprised when Roland opened up yet another Robin Hood DVD and a stuffed fox to go with it. They continued opening presents for the rest of the hour until just the few were left for the Nolans and Emma. Regina excused herself to the kitchen to finish up with the turkey and putting together her apple pie. She left her men in the living room playing with their gifts.

"Hey mama we forgot to open these ones!" Roland came trotting into the kitchen carrying gift bags with her special surprise presents in them. She stooped to catch the little boy.

"Oh Roland, please be careful. You can't open these right now. You have to wait for everyone else to get here, okay?" Roland pouted his lips and Regina turned him back around and gave him a light shove towards the living room. "Go see if you can convince Henry to put in a movie, hmm? Something other than Robin Hood, okay? Mommy will be in there in a few minutes." Regina was getting anxious. It was fifteen minutes past eleven. Her stomach was full of knots and was twisting and turning in anticipation. She checked her phone to see if Mary – Margaret or Emma had texted her to let her know they were running late. Nothing. She huffed out in annoyance and tried to take deep breaths to calm herself. She decided to send a quick little text to Mary – Margaret to see what was keeping them.

 _Where are you guys? I thought I specifically told you to be here at eleven o'clock, no earlier, no later._

No response.

* * *

"Oh crap David, Regina just texted me. She wants to know where we are." David chuckled. Regina's neuroticism was going to be the death of them all. He shook his head and patted his wife's leg in an effort to calm her down. Sometimes Regina's neuroticism was contagious.

"Relax Mare, we'll be there in a few more minutes. Christmas won't be ruined just because we're a few minutes behind schedule."

"David, you know how she can get when things don't exactly go to plan."

"I know, I know." Mary – Margaret's phone pinged again. This time there was a text from Emma.

 _Hey, Regina just txtd me wondering where we are. Would it be cruel to ask her what she's talking about?_

 _Emma! Don't you dare! She'll hunt us down and bleed us out to dry._

 _Lol, you're so dramatic_

 _And you are not funny_

 _Seeya in a few, goob_

A few minutes later David's truck pulled up into Regina's driveway followed by Emma's yellow bug.

"Wait here David while I go let Regina know we're here and ask her how she wants to handle this."

"You mean to tell me she didn't plan this part out?"

"She uh had some ideas. I may or may not have forgotten what they were."

"Really."

"She can be really intimidating when she's trying to drill a timepoint into your head. Just start unloading the box okay?" By this time Emma had rounded over to Mary – Margaret carrying the box of food. Killian came up behind her with the box of presents. They made like a caravan up to Regina's porch. Mary – Margaret carried Neal to use him like a human shield. Surely Regina couldn't be too terribly cross at Mary – Margaret if she was holding her favorite little person. Mary – Margaret timidly rang the doorbell, took a step back and waited. The seconds that passed by felt like an eternity. Finally the door swung open to reveal Robin. He turned his bead back to call to Regina.

"Well, took you long enough to get here. Robin, will you help Killian take these boxes into the house? I have something to discuss with my _friends_ here. We'll only be a moment," Regina ordered as she politely shoved the box Emma had into Robin's hands and motioned Killian to pass in front of her. She pulled the door shut behind her before addressing Emma and Mary – Margaret.

"Are you guys trying to ruin everything?" She yelled at them in a whisper. The two women just stared blankly at Regina. Their stare – off was interrupted by the lift gate on David's truck banging as he dropped it. Regina's focus shifted. "What is he doing? He better not break the crib!" She informed the two women as she stalked off in the direction of David's truck. Emma and Mary – Margaret hurried after her.

"Regina, calm down, he's just preparing to unload it. Why don't you tell us what you want us to do and we'll help you, okay?" Emma grabbed Regina's arm to steady the woman.

"Okay, right, uh, we need to get Killian to help David bring this to the front door. Then I was going to give Roland and Henry their last present. Then I will tell Robin his last present is outside, he'll open the door and see the box and then I will hand out the rest of the presents, got it?" Mary – Margaret and Emma shook their heads.

"Alright then let's head back to the house so Killian can come back out here and we can go inside." Regina walked nervously to the front door with Emma and Mary – Margaret trailing behind. She paused at the door, inhaled and pushed the door open.

"Killian," she said with a sweet smile, "David needs your help with one last thing at the truck."

"Oh yeah, right, I'll be right back." Killian excused himself and exchanged a bewildered look with Emma has he passed her.

"Alright boys, Robin and I have one last gift to give you, how does that sound?" Both boys looked at each other, spreading wide grins on their faces and jumped up from their seated position on the floor. Regina reached behind the tree and gave them each an identical wrapped box. They were puzzled. They shrugged their shoulders and proceeded with unwrapping the boxes and opening them. Roland was the first to pull out the object.

"Aww man, more clothes?" He whined. "I don't need anymore clothes!" Robin and Regina chuckled. By this time Henry had pulled out his matching shirt.

"It's okay Ro, look I got the same thing. We'll be twins."

"That's not all you'll be."

"Whadya mean, mom?"

"What does the shirt say?" Henry turned the shirt around so he could see it.

"It says, 'I'm a big brother' Yeah, I guess I'm Roland's big brother." Regina gave pause, she hadn't thought about that.

"Well, what does Roland's shirt say?"

"It says, um, Henry will you help me?" Henry nodded his head. Henry was helping Roland with his reading by offering to let him read his comic books if he could read the words.

"Okay Roland, you know the first word."

"It says 'I'm."

"Alright and the next one?"

'a big…brother?" He finished, remembering what Henry's shirt said and guessing it must say the same thing. Both boys looked confused.

"Roland can't be a big brother, he has to be the little brother." Regina's face spread into a wide grin as she passed out smaller gift bags to everyone else, including Henry and Roland.

"Okay, boys I have another photo for you to add to your albums that you got this morning. Everyone on the count of three, open! One, two, three!" With a flourish everyone pulled out a picture frame with a grainy black and white photo in it. There were words printed on the photo. Henry was the first to try to read them out.

"Baby Mills – Hood June 2016"

"Mom?" Regina approached Henry and Roland, taking a hand into each of hers.

"This wasn't exactly planned, but what do you guys say to being big brothers?" Henry's face broke out into a grin as he reached forward and gave is mom a hug. Roland still seemed a bit confused.

"I don't understand. Is there a little brother somewhere?" All the adults chuckled. Regina had tears brimming her eyes by this time. She kneeled on the floor in front of Roland and took his hand. She pulled up her flowing shirt and guided his hand to her stomach.

"Remember how you called this squishy, Roland?" He shook his head. "Well, it's squishy because there's a baby in there."

"A baby?"

"Yes," Robin came to squat next to Regina, "This is why you have to extra careful around Regina. We don't want anything to happen to the baby, okay?"

"You're gonna have a squishy like Dori in Nemo?" Henry laughed and ruffled Roland's hair.

"No Roland, mommy's going to have a baby, not a squishy."

"But, we can call it squishy for now. It's a cute nickname, don'tcha think?" Just then a knock came from the door. Regina stood and straightened out her clothes.

"Ahem, and now, for Robin's final present." Robin looked at her, curious as to what else his wife could possibly have gotten him. "Go on, open the door!" Robin walked to the door to find David and Killian holding onto a rather impressive box. Robin stepped outside to see what was printed on the cover. He brought his hand to his mouth to suppress a chuckle and wipe tears that pricked the corners of his eyes. Everyone stepped out onto the porch to watch his reaction.

"The crib, you did buy it. I was wondering what happened to it."

"I know, I know. I'm glad you didn't pester me about it. I know I've been a pain these past few weeks, but I think we're out of the danger time to properly celebrate and prepare for Squishy."

"That sounds like a great idea."

"Now, whadya say we get to lunch? Squishy and I are starving." Everyone laughed and headed back inside. The men helped straighten up the living room area while the women reheated the food and set the table. It wasn't too long before everyone was seated and enjoying their meal. It was a wonderful afternoon. They opened the rest of the presents the Nolans and Emma brought over and sat around the fireplace and tv to watch one of Roland's new movies about a boy and a jungle and all his animal friends.

* * *

I'm such a terrible author for not having done this sooner! A special thanks to everyone who reviewed the story. You guys rock!

 **GinaScrive Emily Chocapic31** **pirette93** **Apples26** **Sparkles21** **HeroineGauddess** **NBLUV** **katalina12** **outlawqueenbey44** **EvilRegal267** **Fan of it all 1**


	19. Midnight in the Garden of Evil

It's that time again! Time for an update. I'm afraid this one got away from me! I'll have to split it into two parts. Still working on the second half but I thought I'd post the first part in case you weren't busy tonight celebrating New Year's. I hope it's a great one for ya!

* * *

It was relatively quiet in the Mills – Hood home. Everyone was asleep. Everyone except for one Regina Mills and her Squishy. Her stomach gurgled a little bit. Her tongue danced with anticipation of something, anything, she wasn't quite sure. She lay on her side, facing away from Robin. She migrated to the side of the bed with one foot kicked out from under the covers. It was a little chilly in the house but that was because she was hot. She and Robin argued a little bit before retiring to bed about the temperature in the house. He told her sixty – two degrees Fahrenheit was not an appropriate temperature to keep the house during the winter. She begged to differ. He adjusted the temperature back up to sixty – eight and climbed into the bed. She stared at him in complete shock. He smiled up at her and adjusted himself in the bed so he could fall asleep. She rolled over away from him onto the edge of the bed. She listened to his breathing, until it steadied, assuring herself her husband was asleep. She carefully pulled backed the covers and went to the thermostat to adjust the temperature back down to sixty – two degrees. She crept back to bed and readjusted herself under the covers, smiling to herself. Now it was three o'clock in the morning and she was awake. She was tired, she was hot and she was hungry. She rolled over to face Robin. He looked so peaceful. She frowned. If she was going to suffer with insomnia and midnight cravings the very least he could do would be to suffer with her. She poked her finger into his shoulder. Nothing. She sighed. She rolled back onto her back, thinking. How could she wake her husband? She rolled back over and snuggled into his side. He shifted slightly to accommodate her. She smiled and wondered how he was able to do that but not feel her poking him. An idea struck. She leaned up against her side and let her hand drift down Robin's stomach. He twitched a little. Her hand found his boxer briefs. She ghosted her hand ever so slightly across the fabric, feeling for his manhood. She palmed him and began rubbing. He felt her then. His mouth turned into a smirk as he adjusted himself so he was flat on his back, his eyes slowly blinking. He pulled her hand and guided her so she could straddle him. She huffed out. This was not what she wanted. Well, she sorta kinda did, but she was actually hungry for food, this time. She obliged her husband. She straddled him and shifted her body forward, then back, setting up a nice pace. His hands reached up and grabbed her hips. She was starting to forget her end game. Her stomach let out another gurgle. She stopped. Robin's eyes popped open.

"Hey, I thought we had a thing going here."

"If by thing you mean my darling doting husband getting his tired pregnant wife a midnight snack, then yes, we do have that going here."

Robin dragged his hands down his face and let out a sigh. He honestly didn't know why he wasn't surprised.

"You want something to eat?" Regina shook her head. "And you want me to get it for you?" She shook her head again. "Couldn't get it yourself?"

"Well, I suppose I could drag my tired body out of bed. I mean after all the hard work I did today, getting the boys ready for school, making breakfast, working, picking the boys up –"

"Regina, it's Winter Break. And you're off this week."

"Um, pregnancy brain? You really want to trust me in the kitchen right now? I might burn the house down! Then what will we do?" Robin chuckled and shook his head. She was so adorable when she was playing dumb. He rather liked this side of her.

"Alright, alright, I'll get you something to eat, but you owe me."

"Owe you?"

"Yes," Robin said, motioning to Regina's current position on top of him, indicating that he was slightly worked up.

"Oh, well I suppose I do." She chuckled lightly as she climbed off of him. He sat up and grabbed his robe. She stood on her knees on the bed to watch him in the dark.

"Alright, whatdya want?"

"That's the thing, I don't really know. Surprise me?"

"Oh no, I'm not doing that."

"Please?"

"No, I am not going to hazard a guess as to what you might want to eat, bring it to you and have you throw the plate at my head for bringing you the wrong thing."

"Where would you get an idea like that? I have never done anything like that!"

"Sure, sure, that's what you think. You women are all the same." Regina folded her arms across her chest at that remark.

"You women. Are all the same? You wanna try that again, _Mr._ Hood?" Robin bit back a grin, adorable, just adorable.

"Alright alright. I'm sorry," he said as he reached to pull her arms down. They didn't budge. She was angry now. "Come on Regina, it was just a joke."

"Yeah, not laughing. I _do_ know something that I find quite hilarious." Robin gulped. "Blue balls." Robin moaned.

"Oh come on Regina! That's not fair!"

"You know what's not fair? This!" She motioned to her stomach that started to take on a little roundness. "This wasn't exactly planned, okay? I am not prepared for late night cravings and, and, and mood swings and swollen feet and puffiness and," she could barely finish as she dissolved into tears. Robin walked up to her and pulled her into is arms.

"Hey, hey, look at me," he cupped her cheeks. "This," he rubbed her stomach, "is wonderful. I am so sorry to give you a hard time about your midnight craving at," he craned his neck to look at the clock on the bedside table. "Three – thirty in the morning." Regina leaned into Robin's shoulder, sniffling. He pulled her back and grabbed her hand, pulling her off the bed.

"What are you doing," she mumbled.

"I'm serious about getting you exactly what you want. I learned a thing or two from Lydia and her midnight cravings. Just come with me. We can look around the fridge. You tell me what you want and I'll make it, whatever it is. Okay?" Regina nodded her head.

"Okay." With her hand in his, Robin led Regina from their bedroom down the hall and to the stairs that led to the kitchen. Robin turned on the light and led Regina to the counter. He pulled open the refrigerator and scanned the contents. There didn't appear to be much food in there at all.

"Regina dear, when was the last time you went grocery shopping?"

"What's today?"

"Today is Tuesday."

"Sunday I think."

"Yeah? Don't you usually buy us enough food to last through the week?" Regina looked a little sheepish before responding.

"Maybe there are some extra hungry people in this house."

"Would these extra hungry people be my wife?"

"I'm not sure what you mean." Robin chuckled.

"We're going to have to rework the grocery list darling. I don't think you realize how much extra food we need. Now, looks like we have eggs and bacon." Regina shook her head.

"No, I don't like the sound of that."

"Okay, how about a turkey and cheese sandwich?"

"Mmmm…no, I don't think I want that either."

"We have some fruit. Berries and honey dew melon?"

"Are you trying to make me vomit in my mouth?"

Robin grumbled under his breath. "Cereal?" Regina stuck out her tongue.

"Ugh. No, I want something warm to eat."

"I can heat up some turkey for you."

"No, I don't want turkey, I already told you that." Robin let the refrigerator door shut. He turned to face Regina.

"Alright, alright. Would you like me to run out to the store and pick you up something?" Regina smiled.

"Would you?"

"Yeah, tell me what you want and I'll get it for you."

"I think I want a big fat juicy cheeseburger. With fries. And cheese sauce. And a strawberry milkshake. No whipped cream and three cherries."

"I don't think they sell that at the store."

"They sell it at Steak N Shake which is twenty – four hours." She smirked. Robin stared at her for minute, trying to gauge how serious she was. There was no hint of a smile that she might be joking. He laughed to himself.

"Alright, alright. Anything else for her majesty while I'm out?" Regina pursed her lips to consider what else she might like to go with her midnight meal.

"Hmmm, nope, can't think of a single thing. Do hurry it up, I'm feeling rather light headed."

"Well, why don't you go lay back down and I'll return as soon as I can." He leaned over to peck her cheek with a kiss.

Robin couldn't believe his luck. He'd had a long day at the sheriff's department to come home to his family. Regina had fed the boys already. They were all gathered in the living room. Roland was watching The Jungle Book while Henry read his comic books. Regina on the other hand had a magazine opened on her chest, while she slept. It seemed once she made her pregnancy public she turned into someone he didn't recognize. It was like learning about a completely different person. He didn't mind. No, they hadn't really talked about having more children because Henry and Roland were enough. The thought hadn't even crossed their minds. In all the months of their dating and the beginning of their marriage, Regina ran a tight ship. He's pretty sure had she not been pregnant the Christmas tree would've been taken down by now and the living room returned to its original state. He's pretty sure she would've waited for him to get home so they could all eat at the dining room table, together. He's pretty sure the boys wouldn't have been watching a movie during a week night, but on the other hand it was still Winter Break, so maybe it was okay for them to veg out in front of the tv all day.

Robin acknowledged the boys on his way upstairs to change for dinner. By the time he returned, wearing a pair of corduroys and an undershirt, Regina was now lightly snoring. He paused for a moment to stare at her before making his way to the kitchen to make himself a plate. He grabbed a beer from the refrigerator and made his way out into the living room where he perched himself on the recliner. Roland's attention for his movie had drifted some as he was now playing with the new LEGO set Emma had gotten him for Christmas. This time he was just making the figurines fly and crash into each other. Regina stirred a little bit on the sofa, causing her magazine to fall to the floor. Henry hazarded a glance to see what had fallen to the floor and continued on with his reading. Despite his long day, Robin loved family moments like this and hoped there were many more in the future.

However, now, now he was a little perturbed. Regina had woken him with false pretenses of heightened libido due to pregnancy hormones. He was nonplussed that she thought nothing of having worked him up only to make him get her a friggin' cheeseburger and fries and a strawberry milkshake at three in the morning. Especially from Steak n Shake where they made all the burgers to order. It was chilly out. It was chilly in his house. He made a mental note to double check the thermostat when he got back home. Regina had been adjusting the temperature down for her comfort level. They argued about it a little before they went to bed. She argued she could only take off but so much clothing to which he remarked she could take off all her clothes and that earned him a punch in the arm. She said he could pull on all the long underwear and pile on all the blankets, on his side of the bed, that he needed for his comfort. He remained steadfast in keeping the thermostat set to sixty - eight degrees,but had a sneaking suspicion she adjusted the temperature back down. So here he was in the drive – thru, going on ten minutes before the car in front of him finally pulled around. Robin checked his phone one last time to make sure Regina hadn't added anything to her order. He ordered her food and also got himself a coffee to help warm his bones. He looked back down at his phone and decided a quick game of Candy Crush in the drive – thru wouldn't hurt.

He made it through two rounds before the drive – thru attendant tapped on his window to let him know the order was ready. He put away his phone, rolled down the window, paid for his order and accepted the food. He sat for a moment, fixing his coffee just the way he liked it. It was four thirty now, he doubted he'd be able to get any kind of sleep at this point. He drove off towards the house he shared with his family on Miflin Street. He pulled into the driveway and gathered the food, coffee and milkshake. He locked the door and headed into the house. It was dark. He supposed Regina went back upstairs to lay down. He walked up the small landing and deposited his keys by the door and kicked off his shoes. He heard a small sigh and saw a light flick on.

"My god it took you long enough."

"Sorry, you know they make the food to order."

"Okay," she pouted out. "Well don't just stand there! Squishy is starving!" Robin chuckled and brought the bag of food over to Regina. She started pulling out the contents, setting them on the coffee table in front of her. He watched as her face went from excitement to frowning.

"Regina love, you okay?"

"Where's my food?"

"What are you talking about? It's right here."

"This isn't what I asked for."

"Sure it is, fries, cheeseburger, strawberry milkshake from Steak n Shake."

"Robin, I very specifically asked for a big fat juicy cheeseburger, with fries and cheese sauce and a strawberry milkshake. No whipped cream and three cherries. What I have here is a cheeseburger, plain fries and strawberry _with_ whipped cream and one cherry." Robin ran his hand down his face. He thought he'd gotten the hang of fulfilling crazy pregnant wife midnight cravings thanks to Lydia. Regina's face then went from having a frown to having tears streak across her cheeks. She choked back a small sob. He went to sit down next her and shifted over a space.

"Don't touch me," she huffed out.

"Regina, love. I'm sorry, I forgot to tell them."

"You don't care."

"Oh you're being ridiculous now. Of course I care! You left me blue balled and I still went out at three in the morning to get you your food." She turned to look at him in disbelief. She scoffed.

"Well so sorry your being blue balled is more important than your unborn child. Why don't you go to the bathroom and look at one of your magazines and relieve yourself, hmm? And don't bother returning to the bedroom. Squishy and I shall sleep alone tonight."

"It's five in the morning. I'm supposed to be up in an hour to get ready for work."

"Well go pick out your clothes now because I don't want you in the room when I get in there." She reached forward to grab the food Robin brought home and stalked off to the kitchen. He threw his hands up and trudged up the stairs to grab his work clothes. Regina was in a mood and there wasn't anything he could do about it.

* * *

Read and Review please! You know I hate begging...


	20. The Great Big Sleep

Oh goodness, I got five reviews for my last chapter. That's the most I've ever gotten on one chapter. Thanks guys, it means a lot! Sorry it's taken a while to get this second part up. Life gets in the way of fanfic sometimes. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter :-)

* * *

Regina was mad. She'd slept most of the afternoon. She was so exhausted. She hadn't really realized the changes her body was going through. She'd been so stressed hiding the pregnancy that she didn't realize the toll it was taking on her. Her week off from work with the boys gave her time to be a little lazy and rest. The tiredness caught up to her and all she wanted to do was sleep. It was a wonder she was able to entertain the boys and get her regular housework done and sometimes work on her editing while she was home. Yesterday though was hard. She'd taken the boys out for a little bit of shopping but all she managed to get were some things for dinner and a baby furniture magazine before tiredness overtook her. She ushered the boys home and promised them an afternoon of movies if they left her alone to cook dinner. They even got to eat in the living room, without Robin. She took her food and magazine with her. Roland chose The Jungle Book and Henry was just as content to read through his comic books. She doesn't even remember laying down on the sofa, but that was how Robin found her when he got home. After he'd eaten his dinner, he woke her up and escorted her to their bedroom where she complained it was hot upstairs and asked him to turn the thermostat down while she stripped down to nothing but her panties and a light cotton t – shirt. Robin told her it was a comfortable temperature and he didn't want to freeze because she was a little warm. She huffed out a 'fine' and they each got in on their respective sides of the bed. He adjusted his body so she could cuddle into him as was their usual routine, but she told him it was too hot for them to do so. She pretended to sleep so he would fall asleep and she could then adjust the thermostat back down. And then she woke up feeling hungry because she'd eaten dinner so early in the evening. So now Robin returned from getting her food but it wasn't what she wanted. She spent the entire time Robin was gone salivating over the deliciously gooey cheese sauce, imagined it oozing down her fingers and perhaps letting Robin lick it off them to make up for her deception when she initially woke him. The milkshake, oh how her stomach rumbled at the thought of the icy smooth coolness of it as it eased its way down her throat, cooling her off. But now all she could do was eat her cheeseburger, which she had lost the taste for. She took two bites and then spit it back out. It wasn't what she wanted.

She heard Robin come back down the stairs and enter into the kitchen. He came to stand in front of the counter and leaned back against it to look at his wife. She looked up at him and rolled her eyes in disgust. She threw down the cheeseburger, wrapped it back up and placed it back in the sack. Then she gathered the rest of the food and placed it into the refrigerator before exiting the kitchen. Robin followed her.

"After all that you're not even going to eat it?!"

"I told you, it's not what I wanted."

"Just because I forgot the cheese sauce and to tell them no whipped cream it's not what you wanted?" Regina paused on the bottom of the stairs, leaning into them but not looking at Robin.

"Mommy? Daddy? Are you fighting?" A sleepy Roland called to them from up the steps.

"No, Roland, Daddy was just heading off to work, weren't you, Robin?" Robin looked at Regina and shook his head in disbelief. He didn't want to be untoward his wife in front of his young son and Regina was clearly calling the shots here.

"Yeah bud, I was trying to spend time with Regina before I went to work since she fell asleep early last night. Come 'ere my boy, give me a hug before I go." Roland casually strolled down the stairs, confusion coloring his features. This was a strange behavior for his parents, but he didn't hesitate to comply. Robin reached out to his son and held him close. "Be a good boy for Regina today, okay? Take good care of her for me, alright?"

"Sure daddy, I'm always good for mommy! And I'll take real good care of her!" Robin chuckled and ruffled Roland's hair. He tentatively reached out to lightly stroke Regina's arm. She tensed. He dropped his hand to his side.

"I'll see you later," he sighed out before collecting his keys, jacket and placing on his shoes. Only when Regina heard the front door click shut and Robin slide the lock into place did she turn around and look at the boy whose face scrunched up at her. Her eyes were damp with tears.

"Mommy? Why are you sad? Are you sad because daddy left to go to work?" She slowly slid down the wall and onto the steps. Roland climb back up the steps and sat next to her. She wrapped her arms around him and cuddled him close. He reminded her so much of Robin, especially his sweet demeanor and dimpled cheeks. She wasn't exactly sure what to make of her situation or how to fix it. That made the tears come on even stronger as she started to emit louder sounds. She was startled a little bit when she felt another hand on her shoulder. Henry had woken up as well it seems.

"Don't cry mommy, daddy will be home later, he said," Roland reached up to wipe her eyes. She looked down at him and choked out a laugh. Did she really believe that Robin would come back? And what would happen when he did? They clearly needed to talk, she wanted to apologize, but right now pride won out. She gave him clear, explicit directions and he failed to meet them. So what if she was being a little irrational? So what if she sent him out into the dead of night for a stupid cheeseburger and fries with cheese sauce and a strawberry milkshake, no whipped cream and three cherries? It was for their unborn child. She stroked her belly. It was still a little small and even though she swore she could feel the skin tightening and stretching every day, Robin was always rubbing it and talking to it and wondering when he'd actually be able to tell there was a baby in there. She loved the way his eyes lit up every single damn time. She choked back another sob. That was their nightly routine, it was their morning routine and she'd ruined them both in a span of a few hours. She was an emotional wreck and she didn't know what to do about it. Henry came to sit down on the other side of her and laid his head down on her shoulder. She stroked it gently; it gave her a small comfort. The family of three sat there for a few minutes more while Regina calmed herself down enough to stop crying. She cleared her throat.

"So boys, whadya say to some breakfast, hmm? How about pancakes, eggs and sausage?" Roland looked up at her and then to Henry for some sort of confirmation that his mommy was okay.

"Yeah mom, that sounds great," Henry supplied as he stood up. He reached up to take her hands and help her up. She gathered the boys to her side and they walked the short distance to the kitchen. She sat them down at the table and poured up some orange juice for them and started the coffee for herself. While Henry and Roland drank their juice, she got started on the pancake mix. While pulling out the ingredients, she turned around to find two sets of curious eyes on her.

"What?" She asked.

"Can we help?"

"Um, sure, sure you can do that. Henry why don't you preheat the oven? You can spread the sausage out onto the pan and when the oven beeps, place it in the oven and set the timer. Do you think you can handle that?" Henry shook his head and went about preheating the oven.

"What about me, mama?" Regina stooped down to eye – level with Roland.

"You," she bopped his nose with a finger, "my little knight, can help me mix up the pancake batter and then we'll do the eggs." Roland jumped up and down in excitement as Regina dragged a bar stool over to the other side of the counter so Roland could reach. This is how they spent their morning and Regina found herself so pleasantly distracted from her fight earlier with Robin she forgot to cry about it anymore.

It was around noon and the boys had settled themselves in front of the tv playing a game of memory. It was Henry's present to Roland. Regina let Henry pick out Jurassic World for them to watch. She sat on the sofa, reclaiming the baby furniture magazine. She flipped through the pages and found the cherry wood crib Robin picked out for the baby. David and Killian had helped Robin move the crib up to what was now Regina's former office and there it sat, in the box, unassembled. The spread in the magazine depicted a lovely room complete with changing table, a rocking chair with matching ottoman, a dresser and a night table with a lamp. And a mother holding a baby sitting in that rocking chair with the father looking over her shoulder adoringly. Regina sighed and placed the magazine on the sofa next to her. She needed another distraction. Perhaps Mary – Margaret and Neal would like to come over. She leaned over and picked up her phone from the side table next to the sofa. She clicked it on and stifled a small sob, seeing that there was still no word from Robin. He would've checked in with her at least two times by now. She thumbed over to start a new text message with Mary – Margaret.

 _Hey_

She stared at the screen, willing Mary – Margaret to respond immediately. Roland let out a giggle as he jumped up and down yelling that he'd finally beaten Henry at their game. Henry let out a small groan, admitting defeat before suggesting a different game, sensing his mom still wasn't quite ready to entertain them for the day. Her phone suddenly let out a melodic sound. It was Mary – Margaret calling.

"Hey," Regina answered, solemnly.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Mary – Margaret could hear the sadness in her friend's voice.

"Oh dear, you are definitely not okay. No worries, Neal and I will be over in a jiffy." Silence echoed from Regina's side of the phone. "Okay Regina? Regina, talk to me." Still silence.

"Regina? Can you hand the phone to Henry? You're starting to scare me." Regina nodded her head, not that Mary – Margaret could see and shoved the phone towards Henry. He looked up from setting up Scrabble Jr and took the phone from his mom.

"Hello?" He questioned into the phone, not knowing who was on the other end.

"Henry, it's me, Aunt Mare. Is your mom okay? She won't talk to me."

"I'm not sure, she looked sad when Robin left for work this morning, but she hasn't really said anything."

"Okay, well I'm on my way over. Would you and Roland like McDonald's for lunch?" He looked at Roland and then looked at his mom. His mom would say no and the way she was looking he certainly didn't want to upset her any more than she already was. Another beat passed.

"Don't worry what your mom will say. I don't think she's in any mood to argue with what I bring you. Hand the phone back to your mother and I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Okay," responded, handing the phone back to his mother. She took it from him.

"Hey," she choked out again.

"I'm bringing the boys McDonald's. Do you want anything?" Regina nodded her head. "Regina, tell me what you want for lunch okay, you need to eat." She sighed out into the phone. "Okay, good you're there, now tell me what you want. Anything at all and I'll get it for you, okay?" She shook her head and took a deep breath before she managed to tell Mary – Margaret her order in between choked out sobs.

* * *

Bad, this was bad. That's all Mary – Margaret could think as she busied herself around the loft apartment. The only time Mary – Margaret had ever known Regina to cry was when she lost the baby and the following aftermath of losing Daniel. Mary – Margaret wasn't sure what kind of mess she would be walking into once she got to Regina's. She packed Neal's diaper bag with some toys, snacks, two changes of clothes and some movies. Just in case, she packed herself an overnight bag. She shot off a text message to her husband to let him know a potential change in their evening plans. David would understand. They both made a promise to Daniel that they would look after Regina, whatever she may need.

 _Hey, not sure what's going on with Regina, but I might need to stay the night with her. I'll have Neal._

Once she finished packing everything, she finished loading the dishwasher and started the load. It would be one less thing her husband had to do when he got home and it was the least she could do since she wouldn't be home when he got there.

 _Uh, I think I might know._

Mary – Margaret's eyes widened.

 _Tell me what you know_

Her phone rang. This must be something serious if her husband was calling to give her the details.

"Yeah, um Robin and Regina may or may not have had a fight."

"May or may not have? Could you _be_ any more vague? What constitutes a fight?"

"Well, Regina woke Robin up to get her some food." Mary – Margaret nodded her head, an air of understanding coming over her.

"Let me guess, he got the wrong thing?"

"He may or may not have forgotten a couple of key components."

"Key components such as?" David repeated the order back to Mary – Margaret. She chuckled into the phone.

"Oh David, this is what Regina just asked me to bring her for lunch. The poor thing. I'm glad this is all it is. This is something we can fix. For a moment I was so afraid she'd lost this baby too." Mary – Margaret was met with silence for a noticeable moment. Despite the Nolans' attempt at allaying Regina's fears of losing this baby, they were just as afraid as she was. "How is Robin taking all this?"

"Well, he's upset that he messed up the order. He's upset that Regina's upset with him. He doesn't really know what to do and quite frankly, I don't know what to tell him either. I tried to send him home. I asked Emma to come in early. He's not sure Regina wants him home."

"Okay, well how about this, I'm going over to Regina's right now. I'll feel her out, see where her head is at. She's really upset and I get the feeling it's a little more than Robin messing up her food order. I packed an overnight bag just in case. Why don't you and Robin have a guys' night? Maybe invite Killian? Tell Emma to come on over when she's done with her shift. We'll get this all sorted.

"Okay, will do."

"And David?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you, no matter what." He chuckled softly.

"I love you, no matter what," he echoed.

* * *

"Welp," David returned to the outer work area in the small Sheriff's department, "looks like it's just you, me and perhaps Killian for tonight."

"Whadya mean?" Robin questioned as he tossed down a pile of folders onto his desk.

"That was Mary – Margaret."

"Oh. Has she talked to Regina?"

"Yeah, well, not really?"

"How do you mean?"

"Well, all she got out of Regina was crying and an order for lunch. Mary – Margaret suggests that you and I have a guys' night and she'll have a girls' night with Regina."

"What about the boys?'

"Hmmm, Mary – Margaret has Neal. I guess we could grab them for a true guys' night, but that would mean we'd kinda have to stay in the loft."

"That's fine, I don't feel much like going out anyway."

"Okay, I'll make the suggestion."

"Thanks mate. I feel a little out of my element here. Lydia wasn't this torn up about late night cravings."

"Women are different. Give Regina time, she might be mad, but it's because she cares. We'll just give her time and space."

"That's what I'm trying to do, but I'm not quite sure how much time and space she requires."

"We'll leave that up to Mary – Margaret to figure out."

"Leave what up to Mary – Margaret to figure out?" Emma tossed in as she entered the office.

"Regina's in a mood." Emma mouthed a silent 'oh'.

"Is this why I was called in two hours early?"

"Affirmative. I wasn't sure if Robin would be able to handle working today, I tried to send him home."

"Yeah, you did, but like I said, Regina's in a mood and I don't think my presence is wanted."

"In fact," David started, "we'll be having a guys' night, Killian's invited."

"You're inviting my boyfriend to a pity party?"

"No, it's a guys' night. You get to have a girls' night with Regina and Mare."

"Gee, that's not really my thing."

"Please Emma, help a guy out here. Be a girl for once." Emma scoffed at that remark.

"Last time I checked I have all the necessary parts to qualify me as a girl, well woman. In fact, Killian was telling me just last – "

"Please spare us the details. You know what I mean. Can you just please have a girls' night with Regina and Mary – Margaret?"

"Fine. Fine, I'll do it. But I'm drinking which means I will require tomorrow off."

"Really?"

"Those are my terms."

"Alright, you may have tomorrow off. I will work for you."

"Thanks David, you're a real stand up kinda guy." Emma placed her coffee and bag of pastries on her desk and pulled out her paperwork.

David pulled out his phone and Mary – Margaret about Robin's offer to take Henry and Roland and asked if she wanted to keep Neal or could she trust him enough to keep his son for a real guys' night. She responded that of course he could keep his own son and she would talk to Regina about sending Henry and Roland off.

* * *

There was a sharp knock on the door. Regina looked up from the pillow she was currently hugging onto while she watched 'The Break – Up'. Henry and Roland had fallen asleep on the floor. The door sounded another knock. Regina wiped her face, setting the pillow aside and went to answer the door. It was Mary – Margaret laden with bags and food and Neal. Neal reached out his arms towards Regina. Regina took him from his mother's arms and hugged him close. Regina offered a weak smile to Mary – Margaret who stepped into the foyer. Regina turned to lead Mary – Margaret towards the living area so she could set down her bags.

"I'm afraid the boys have fallen asleep."

"No matter, we can still eat, right?" Regina nodded her head and continued on towards the kitchen. She pulled out a chair at the kitchen table and set Neal down. Mary – Margaret placed the bags of food on the table and went to get some plates out of the cabinets. Regina sat down at the table. Mary – Margaret plated the food and slid the plates onto the table.

"So, Regina, why don't you tell me what's going on." Regina nodded as she picked at the cheeseburger.

"A juicy cheeseburger, fries with cheese sauce. A strawberry milkshake, no whipped cream and three cherries."

"Yes, that's what you asked for."

"Uh – huh. You got it right."

"Okay."

"And Robin got it all wrong," Regina managed to choke out before she dissolved into sobs. Mary – Margaret stood up and pulled Regina against her into a hug while she cried. It was several minutes before Regina stopped shaking and began sniffling. Mary – Margaret went to the sink and dampened a paper towel so Regina could wipe off her face.

"Is this really why you're upset? Because Robin forgot a few details on your food order?"

"Well, yes. I know. I know it's silly."

"Regina, it's not silly, but it's also no reason to pick a fight with Robin. David didn't always get my food orders right, heck, even now he sometimes gets them wrong. But you know what, the fact that David would go out in the dead of night to get me what I wanted made it all okay. So what he forgot the cheese sauce and to ask them to leave off the whipped cream."

"I know, but now Robin hates me. I made him hate me."

"What makes you say that?"

"He hasn't checked in on us today. He's usually texted me at least two times by now, to check on me, to check on the boys, to check on Squishy," she laughed out that last part. It was a cute little nick name for the baby.

"Well, I talked to David." Regina looked up.

"You did?"

"Yeah, he tried to send Robin home because he seemed so upset. Robin wasn't sure you'd want him home."

"Well, this morning I was very upset, but now I wish he'd text or call or coming bursting through that damn door."

"Regina, language."

"Sorry. I guess I'm more upset at myself for being so ridiculous. I know I should apologize, but I just can't bring myself to do it."

"Of course you can't. Regina is never wrong, is she?" Regina stared hard at Mary – Margaret.

"I don't like to lose."

"Regina dear, you know that's not fair. This is your marriage. You guys are partners, not enemies or competitors." Regina waved her hands in front of her.

"I know. What do I do now?"

"Well, I convinced David to have a guys' night. He's gonna come by and grab the boys. Emma will come over and we'll have a girls' night. We'll all have our respective pity parties and tomorrow Robin will come home and you guys can have a discussion about this whole misunderstanding."

"But – "

"Nope, don't wanna hear it. You're being unreasonable and you know it. Now, finish your food. I'm going to wake Henry and Roland so they can eat. I'll help them pack their bags and we can sit around until David comes to collect them, okay?" Regina nodded her head. She was feeling rather famished, so she dug into her lunch. It was bittersweet. The cheeseburger and cheesey fries were sinfully delicious and the strawberry milkshake was heaven. It was everything she knew it would be when she asked Robin to get it for her. Mary – Margaret returned to the kitchen just as Regina finished the last slurp of her milkshake.

"That good, huh?"

"Uh – huh," she hiccupped out.

"Well the boys are all packed and finished their lunch. I also swapped out that terrible movie you were watching."

"It fits perfectly."

"No, Regina. That movie is for when we break up with our boyfriends and need a reminder to stay broken up with them."

"Exactly."

"No, Regina. You are not breaking up with anyone."

"Maybe he's breaking up with me. I need to prepare myself."

"Oh my gosh, stop! I'm not sure what you're on about. Robin isn't going to break up with you over this."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. We'll have our girls' night, they'll have their guys' night and when we all wake in the morning we can have breakfast at Granny's and you will both still be married. Now come on! Let's pick out Rom Com movies with happy endings!" Mary – Margaret held her hands out to Regina to help her up. Regina considered Mary – Margaret for a moment and reluctantly placed her hands into Mary – Margaret's. Mary – Margaret pulled Regina out of her chair and they went together to the living room area to finish watching whatever movie Mary – Margaret popped in and to wait. Wait for the guys to come pick up the boys.

"Maybe – "

"Yes?" Mary – Margaret prompted Regina to finish her statement.

"Maybe I should pack Robin an overnight bag as well?"

Mary – Margaret let out a sly smile. "I think that's an excellent idea, Regina!" She popped Regina on the thigh. "I'll help!" Regina rolled her eyes and stood to head upstairs to the master bedroom with Mary – Margaret hot on her heels.

Regina entered the bedroom and went straight for the closet. She pulled down Robin's duffel bag that he used for the gym. She tossed it on the bed and opened it. She let out a small sigh and sniffled back a few tears. Robin had left some of his work clothes in the bag. Regina pulled out the clothes and inhaled their scent. They smelled like Robin. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes. She walked the dirty clothes back over to the closet and tossed them into the hamper. Mary – Margaret kept her distance for a few moments. She'd never known Regina to feel for someone like she felt for Robin. It was slightly unnerving to see her friend who had spent many years building a protective barrier around her heart have that barrier seemingly crumble so quickly right before her eyes. Regina had disappeared into the closet to find some clothes, Mary – Margaret assumed, so she decided to head to the en – suite bathroom.

"I'll grab toiletries for you," Mary – Margaret tossed in the direction of the closet. She got no response from Regina. After a few moments of rummaging around the bathroom, Mary – Margaret emerged holding onto what she assumed was Robin's toothbrush and some deodorant. Robin could share the boys' toothpaste. She stepped towards the closet to grab a towel and washcloth. Regina was still in there, sitting on the floor hugging a pair of Robin's jeans close to her. The poor woman had tears streaming down her face as she struggled to hold back sobs. Mary – Margaret kneeled before.

"Hey, don't do that. I thought we discussed this. Everything's going to be just fine. No one's leaving anyone."

"I know," she choked out, "but I was just thinking, we've never spent a night a part since we've been married. Never. And out first night a part? Because of a fight. Because I'm hormonal. Because I accidentally got pregnant." Mary – Margaret cupped her friend's face in her hands.

"Hey hey now, don't think like that. This baby is no accident. This is something you were meant to have, and you were meant to have it with Robin. No, it wasn't planned, but I've never seen Robin, or you for that matter, so happy to have this in your lives. Let yourself be happy about it, okay? I think this would all go a lot more smoothly if you did that. Enjoy this. You've had to deal with it being just you and Henry for so long. And now you've got Robin and Roland and Squishy to build a new life with. How awesome is that?" Regina choked back another sob as she nodded her head in agreement. "Good, now, are these the jeans you're packing for Robin?" Regina nodded her head. "Okay, let me take those from you and help you up," Mary – Margaret reached for Regina's hands and pulled the woman to her feet. Regina turned to face Robin's side of the walk – in closet and perused his Polos before drifting down to the side of the closet that housed his button – up flannels. Fashion that David had turned Daniel onto and now Robin, it seems. Regina let out a soft chuckle as her hands landed on a shirt and pulled it from the hanger. She silently handed the shirt to Mary – Margaret and followed her out of the closet. Regina then walked over to the dresser and rummaged around pulling out an undershirt and a pair of boxer briefs.

"You're really great at giving hope speeches," Regina finally broke her silence while she packed away the items into the duffel bag. Mary – Margaret gave a curtsy.

"Why thank you, your majesty." Regina tossed back a chuckle with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Robin teased her with that name. After double – checking the items she'd packed, she gave a satisfied nod and zipped up the bag. She took into her hands and turned towards Mary – Margaret indicating she was ready to head back downstairs. Mary – Margaret silently led the way down the stairs and sent a silent prayer that David and Robin would show up soon to pick up the boys. Maybe Regina was just really stressed and a night without Robin or the boys might truly be what she needs, and perhaps a session with Archie. Every so often Mary – Margaret would try to convince Regina she should go see Archie, just to talk about life. Mary – Margaret would visit with the therapist at least once a month. It helped to assure her that life was alright even if sometimes she didn't whole – heartedly agree.

Regina and Mary – Margaret made it the bottom of the stairs and Regina walked the duffel bag over the front door where the rest of the bags were waiting. They then headed back over to the den and discovered curious eyes watching their entrance. Regina quickly wiped the tear streaks from her face.

"Oh boys, you're awake!"

"Yep, you weren't here!"

"I know, we're sorry, we went to go pack Robin a bag." Henry stiffened.

"Are you guys having a fight?" Roland gasped at Henry's question.

"Fighting's not nice, you and daddy said." Roland piped up. Regina walked towards the boys, she stroked Henry's cheek and rubbed the top of Roland's head.

"No, we're not fighting, just a misunderstanding. You're going to have a guys' night with David and Robin and Killian and me and Mary – Margaret are gonna have a girls' night."

"Like a, um, what is it? Slum, slum? Like when Henry went to Hansel's?"

"Yes, just like that, a slumber party. It will be fun! You guys can stay up late and watch movies and eat popcorn and pizza and I'll even let you drink a soda. One." Regina held up her index finger for emphasis. Both boys turned to each other, grinning and gave each other high fives. Regina laughed and made her way back around the sofa to sit down. Her back was bothering her and had been for the past few hours. How she wished Robin was there to give her a massage. She supposed she could talk Mary – Margaret into giving her a back rub and hoped it was somewhat as good as Robin's. The boys turned back around on the sofa and cuddled up against Regina. Mary – Margaret came to sit on the other end of the sofa and flipped channels on the tv.

The bell sounded from the front door ten minutes into a viewing of Doctor Who. Mary – Margaret didn't get that station on her tv and missed the Doctor Who Christmas special. She was fortunate enough to convince Regina into letting her watch while they waited for David. Regina and Mary – Margaret looked at each other the second time the doorbell chimed.

"For goodness sake, I'll get it," Henry scolded before stalking off to answer the door. "David! Hey!"

"Hey Henry, is my wife here?"

"Yep, she's sitting with mom watching Doctor Who."

"Oh, she's finally getting to see the Christmas Special. Mare! You in here?"

"Yep, give me a second to pause the show." David could hear Mary – Margaret fussing at Regina. A few moments later both women entered into the foyer.

"Hey David, thanks for taking the boys."

"No worries Regina, we're gonna have an awesome time. Are the boys ready?"

"Yep, we packed their bags and Regina packed one for Robin. Let me get Neal and Roland." Mary – Margaret headed back towards the living room and left Regina, Henry and David in the foyer standing in uncomfortable silence.

"So." David started.

"So, um, how's Robin?" Regina ventured.

"He's doing alright."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I think so. How are you?"

"Me? I'm perfectly fine. Glad you guys are getting to hang out together and do guy stuff, together. Without us women to interfere."

"What are you guys talking about?" Mary – Margaret interrupted their conversation, not wanting David to say anything that might tip Regina into another emotional outburst.

"Nothing, I was just informing David I told the boys they could have only one soda for the evening and water for the rest of the time."

"Uh – huh. Okay, welp, here's Neal. Here are the rest of the bags. Go and enjoy yourselves. Don't forget to feed everyone, okay?"

"I know how to take care of a kid or two, Mare."

"You sure do!" Mary – Margaret leaned forward to peck Neal on the forehead and David on the cheek. She shoved everyone out the door and turned to face Regina. "Now, let's go finish watching Doctor Who! Then we can do some prenatal yoga to help you relax and hopefully Emma will be around then and we can have dinner and watch a movie, maybe facials and paint our nails?"

"You're really into this slumber party thing, aren't you?" Mary – Margaret just grinned in response and nodded her head.

* * *

Emma arrived around eight o'clock in the evening bearing gifts of donuts from The Muffin Man and Garbage Pail pizza from Mount Vesuvius, per Regina's request. Emma couldn't exactly reach the doorbell with all the crap in her arms so she resorted to kicking the door. After a few beats, the door swung open to reveal a rather perturbed Regina.

"Really Emma? I thought kicking down doors was reserved for criminals."

"Well it is rather criminal for one person to cause such destruction in everyone's life. Here, why don't you take this pizza you asked for so I can grab the rest of my stuff for our fun filled girls' night?" Regina stared at Emma open – mouthed at her accusation and then shut it. "Speechless? That is a first. Hey Mary – Margaret, I think I broke Regina!" Emma called into the house. Mary – Margaret came running to the door.

"Regina? You okay? Emma what did you do to her?!"

"I just merely stated she's caused a big mess. I told the truth, she needed to hear it. Here, I brought us some wine to get us through." Emma pushed her way past Mary – Margaret and Regina. The two women stared after her in silence.

"Well, isn't this a fun start?"

"I don't find this fun at all, I want her to leave. I don't want to do girls' night anymore. The whole point was to wallow in self – pity. Emma is not following the rules." Mary – Margaret reached out and wrapper her arm around Regina.

"Now now Regina, you know Emma, she's rough and tough. We're gonna eat this pizza you asked for and donuts. Emma and I will drink wine. You can have sparkling grape juice and we'll pick out a nice sappy rom com. Or action flick with hot half – naked guys. You know, whatever." Mary – Margaret pulled a reluctant Regina towards the living room where Emma was well on her way to a second slice of pizza.

"I see you've made yourself comfortable."

"Yep, I'm starving! Here, have some. This pizza's actually pretty good!"

"Well, don't eat all of it."

"I won't, I'll save you some. How many slices you want? One and one half?" Regina scoffed. "Oh, come on, you know you don't eat whole lot. I know for a fact pizza isn't even on your list of 'Foods Regina Will Eat'. I'm surprised you even asked for this."

"Well, pregnancy will do that to you, just wait and see."

"Ugh, no, I am not having any kids. I've got plenty with you two baby – making machines. I'm just gonna be the cool aunt." Regina sighed as she lowered herself onto the floor in front of the coffee table so she could eat a slice of pizza. They all ate in silence while Mary – Margaret flipped through the On Demand movies to find something they could all watch.

"How about Fool's Gold?"

"That was a terrible movie. Just. Terrible."

"Great! Let's watch it!"

"Emma, no."

"Regina, yes. Hit play Mare. We are watching this terrible awful movie because this what you do during girls' night. Watch bad movies." Mary – Margaret started the movie while Regina stretched herself out on the floor. She winced a little at the shooting pain.

"Regina, you okay? Maybe you want the sofa instead? I'll help you up." Mary – Margaret offered her hands for Regina to take. Regina rolled her eyes and took a few moments to consider how painful it would be for her to change positions again. She rolled over and brought herself on all fours so she could stand on her knees before grasping Mary – Margaret's hands.

"I was just trying to alleviate the pain in my back. And my stomach. I just ache everywhere right now."

"I know, I know. Here, you sit down, put your feet up and see if that doesn't help, okay?" Regina nodded her head. Emma leaned back against the sofa in front of Regina and Mary – Margaret relaxed in the recliner. About thirty minutes into the movie Emma and Mary – Margaret could hear soft snores coming from the sofa. They both chuckled. Emma turned around and pulled out her cellphone to record. Mary – Margaret leaned forward and slapped Emma on the arm. Regina let out a soft snort. After recording for a little bit Emma put her phone away and stood up.

"Emma, what are you doing?" Mary – Margaret whispered as she followed Emma to over where she placed her overnight bag and pulled out her toothpaste. "Emma," Mary – Margaret drawled out her name in a warning.

"What? Slumber party rules, don't be the first one to fall asleep or you get a toothpaste mustache." Emma tip toed back over to Regina where she delicately squeezed out a long line of toothpaste and dropped it onto Regina's face. The woman barely moved. Emma chuckled at her handy work as she pulled out her cell phone to take a picture. This time Mary – Margaret tried to snatch Emma's phone out of her hand. She missed and sent them both tumbling to the floor with a loud thud. Regina sat straight up.

"What the hell are you two doing? And what is this on my face?" She yelled as she wiped at the sticky material. "Toothpaste? Really Miss Swan? No wonder you get along so well with my twelve – year old." Regina swung her legs around and tried to push herself off the sofa, a move she instantly regretted. She grasped her stomach as another pain ripped up her side and back. She leaned forward and tried to take deep breaths. Emma and Mary – Margaret were immediately by her side.

"Regina? Regina, what's going on?" Mary – Margaret reached behind Regina to rub her back.

"It hurts," she managed to say through clenched teeth.

"Okay, um, what hurts exactly?"

"My stomach. Oh god, it hurts so bad," she cried out as another ripple of pain course through her sides.

"Emma, grab our purses and get the car started. Come Regina, let's get you to out to the car and to the hospital okay? How long have you been feeling this way?" Mary – Margaret pulled Regina to her feet.

"I'm not sure. Maybe a little soreness last night, more intense this afternoon."

"Why didn't you say anything?!" Mary – Margaret admonished.

"It wasn't exactly a focus of mine. Will you call Robin for me?"

"Of course. Let's get you situated in the car first, okay?"

"Mm hmm," was all Regina could muster out as her stomach cramped again.

The drive to the hospital was a quick one thanks to Emma and her lead foot. Emma pulled right up to the ambulance entrance, hopped out the car and grabbed a wheel chair. Mary – Margaret helped Regina into the chair and sent a silent prayer that Emma wouldn't accidentally kill Regina during the short trip through the entrance and into the Emergency Room. The staff immediately took Regina back.

"Well, I suppose I should go move the car," Emma said despondently.

"Yeah, perhaps you should. I'm going to give Robin a call and see if I can't figure out which room they took Regina into. I'll text you." Emma nodded her head and the two women went their separate ways.

* * *

He burst through the doors calling out to her. "Regina! Regina!" He grabbed the first person he could find. "Can you tell me where my wife is?"

"I'm sorry sir, you'll have to check with the front desk." He spun around on his heels, not sure where the front desk was. He couldn't think clearly. All he knew was his wife and his unborn child needed him. Mary – Margaret called David to let him know she was at the hospital with Regina and to please break the news to Robin gently. David tried to calm his friend but it was of no use. Reluctantly they left the boys with Killian so David could take Robin to the hospital. Robin doesn't even recall the ride to the hospital or how he found himself wondering the halls of the Emergency department searching for his wife. He found a circulation desk and again asked the person if they knew where his wife was.

"Okay, let me check, what's your wife's name, sir?"

"Her name, it's uh, Regina."

"Regina what?"

"Regina Hood, no, sorry, Mills – Hood is the last name."

"Alright, let's see," the secretary took a few moments to check the board for Regina's name while Robin drummed his finger impatiently on the desk. "Ah, here she is, Room A 14. It's around this corner."

"Okay, thanks!" He tossed out as he jogged toward her room. The door was shut. He knocked once, twice and then pushed the door open. The sight before him both frightened him and relieved him. Mary – Margaret was seated on the bed with Regina, cuddling her close, stroking her back while Emma sat in a chair on the other side flipping channels on the tv. When Mary – Margaret saw Robin she leaned in close to Regina and whispered to her. Regina nodded her head.

"Hey Emma, wanna grab some coffee with me?" Emma looked up.

"Oh yeah, absolutely." She gently touched Regina's leg that was hidden underneath the bed sheets. "You want anything, Regina?" Regina slowly shook her head no. "Alright, we'll back shortly. Robin, be nice."

"Emma!" Mary – Margaret yelled in a hushed whisper. Robin and Regina watched the two women leave and waited for the door to shut with a click. He stood in front of the door, unsure what he should do. On the one hand he wanted desperately to take his wife into his arms and hold her close. On the other hand he wasn't sure if she would want that. So they stared hard at each other. It was then that Robin heard the rhythmic sound. The sound of galloping horses. The sound he knew to be of the heartbeat of his child. The tears that had gathered unbeknownst to him in the corners of his eyes began to fall as he walked towards Regina. He opened his arms as he finally made it to her bed. She leaned into them as he sat down. Her quivering lips emitted sounds of soft sobbing and he could feel how wet her cheeks were. They stayed embraced this way for a few minutes more before Robin pulled back to look at Regina.

"Oh Regina, I am so sorry I wasn't here for you." She sniffled and wiped at her cheeks with the backs of her hands.

"Oh Robin," she choked out, "I'm the one who should be sorry. I'm sorry I overreacted about the food. Really I am." Robin stroked his wife's back.

"Shhhh, it's okay, it's alright. I should've paid closer attention to your request. Maybe in the future you can write it down for me. Seems I'm a bit forgetful with these things." Regina nodded into his chest. "So, how's Squishy?"

"Squishy's fine. Here," she reached for his free hand and brought to her rounded belly. Once she had his hand in place, she clasped her hand on top and held it there.

"Are you alright? All David said was that Mary – Margaret said you were in the hospital. I didn't know what to think."

"I'm fine, Squishy's fine, we're both fine. Turns out it was just some round ligament pain. It got a little intense and freaked me out. I was so afraid the dull ache and cramping meant something else."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well, I didn't know. I was just feeling achy and you weren't there to give me back massages or rub my belly like you usually do and you hadn't checked in on us all day."

"I know, I'm sorry. I was trying to give you space."

"Cuz I'm a crazy hormonal bitch right now? Thanks," she said with an eye roll. Robin was starting to believe his sassy wife was back to her normal self. He let out a soft chuckle as he pulled her back into him and squeezed her tightly. "Actually, Squishy is now Lemon."

"Lemon?"

"Mm hmm, it is now the size of a Lemon. Here, they did an ultrasound." Regina took a photo off the side table and gave to Robin. He stared at it in wonderment. He touch the photo gently, tracing the outline of the blob that was their Lemon.

"I think I like Squishy. Can we stick with Squishy?" A soft knock could be heard coming from the door. "Yeah?" Robin called out. Emma pushed the door open.

"Sorry, we're all done getting coffee. You two okay in here?"

"Yep, we're great. Thanks so much for taking care of Regina." Regina scoffed.

"Take care of me? Let me tell you what those two did. They recorded me snoring and put toothpaste on my face while I was sleeping." Robin stifled a laugh. "That is not funny!"

"Yes it is! Here Robin, look!" Emma shoved her phone into Robin's hands.

"Well, I don't need to see, I fall asleep next to her every night." Regina slapped his arm.

"Congratulations on your new sleeping arrangement on the sofa downstairs."

"Oh, come on Regina. If I sleep downstairs who's going to rub your back for you?" Regina considered him for a moment.

"You are. You can rub my back before bed and then go downstairs to sleep. But still keep your phone near you so I can inform you of any midnight food requests I may have," Regina finished as she folded her arms across her chest. Robin, Emma and Mary – Margaret all shook their heads. Regina was a real piece of work and if her first trimester was any indication of how the rest of her pregnancy was going to go, they were all well in over their heads.

* * *

 **Trying a new way to section off...let me know if the line breaks were a pain in the butt or not. Your continued support is awesome! Please read and review!**


	21. Part of Your World

Hey guys, thought I'd try my hand at CaptainSwan. I'm really into OQ so forgive me if I don't do your ship justice - I'm trying to branch out and spare you the monotony that is OQ, even though this is an OQ story :-)

* * *

Emma Swan was a great many things. She was a sheriff deputy. She was a former bail bondsman. She was a lover. She was a fighter. She was a gym rat. She was faithful and loyal. She was wary. She was adopted. Today she was relaxing. She finally had a day off and she planned on spending every moment of it sleeping. Or eating. Perhaps both. She was still working on the sleeping part. Not that she was lazy or anything but with the holidays and Regina's scare with the pregnancy, Emma Swan hadn't really had any time for herself. Her day off was well – deserved. She had managed to move herself from the bed and onto the sofa in the living area of the two – bedroom apartment she occasionally shared with one Killian Jones. Of course she enjoyed spending time with him and she definitely enjoyed it when he spent the night at her place, but today she needed her alone time. Today she needed silence that may or may not be interrupted by binge – watching Law & Order: SVU. Oh, she had plans today and nothing was going to interrupt that. Funny then when she woke up from nap number two there was a note on the coffee table along with a bag of bear claws and a cup of coffee from Granny's. She slowly blinked her eyes open and took a deep breath. The confection hadn't been there that long. She smacked her lips and slowly sat up. The tv emitted a low hum and she could see Olivia Benson talking to Nick Amaro. She reaches for the remote and unmutes the tv. She prefers the seasons without Detective Stabler. And Nick Amaro is nice eye – candy. Dark and mysterious. She opens the bag from Granny's and takes a huge bite from the bear claw. It wasn't as good as The Muffin Man's but she wasn't going to hold that against her benefactor. While she chewed, she popped open the take out cup of coffee and unceremoniously dumped creamer and sugar into it, briefly stirring the concoction before swallowing her food and bringing the drink to her lips. She inhaled the warmth and took a slow, long sip. She hummed in appreciation. She took another bite of the bear claw and pulled the piece of paper with Killian's handwriting on it towards her so she could read it.

 _Hey love,_

 _I know it's your day off, but I thought we could hang out at the docks together today. I brought you coffee and bear claws to help you on your way. Please don't say no._

 _X.O.X.O._

 _Captain Jones_

Emma sighed and chuckled to herself before tossing the note aside. She popped the last bit of bear claw into her mouth before sighing and shutting off the tv. She supposed since he went through the trouble of getting her bear claws and coffee the least she could do was humor his romantic gestures. Honestly, however did she end up with such a romantic sap? Her fingers absently spun the promise ring on her right hand. It was something she'd caught herself doing ever since Killian put that ring on her finger. Either from unfamiliarity or nervousness, she wasn't sure why she found herself doing it, more often than not. If she wasn't careful, someone might catch on that the ring is something more than a decorative piece.

Emma worked her way off the sofa and headed off to the bedroom for a nice hot shower. The hot water cascaded over the top of her head, down her shoulders and back and finished off at her feet. It massaged the tension away from her shoulders as she stood underneath the shower head to relax. Eventually she picked up the bar of soap she shared with Killian and worked up a generous lather onto her washcloth before cleansing her skin, washing away the worries of the week. It felt amazing. Next she picked up the lavender scented shampoo Regina gave her for Christmas and massaged it into her scalp before rinsing it out and inhaling the wonderful scent that seemed to have an even more calming effect. She washed herself off once more with the stress relief body wash she picked up from Bath and Body Works before the water started to run lukewarm, a sure sign that cold water would soon follow. She let out a contented sigh as she shut the water off and reached for the towel just outside the shower curtain.

Emma stepped the sink, all wrapped up in her towel to brush her teeth and wash her face. She finished drying off and put on some lotion followed by some scented lotion she put on her arms and around her neck. She wasn't one for perfumes. She tossed the towel into the hamper and headed into the bedroom to search for some clothing that would be somewhat appropriate for a day at the docks. Jeans and perhaps a button down flannel shirt, she thought. She threw on an undershirt as well, just in case. Her boots rested by the door. After one quick glance around the apartment to make sure the food bits were put away and nothing electronic that could possibly cause a fire was still plugged up, she headed out the door and down to her car for an afternoon with her man.

* * *

Killian sat in his office by the dock, counting down the hours, the minutes, and the seconds until Emma arrived. Well, he hoped she would arrive. There were no guarantees. She could still be asleep for all he knew. What Emma enjoyed more than sleeping was her days off, which she used for more sleeping. He couldn't quite figure out why the blonde would rather spend all her time asleep when she could be outside exploring the world. He supposed she had enough of exploring the world growing up in foster care. It amazed him some days how well adjusted Emma seemed to be. Certainly she had her moments. There were times he wished she could be a little bit more compassionate. Other times he found himself quite amused with her, especially when he sees Emma and Regina interact. It was almost as if they were sisters sometimes; the bickering and sassing. It was entertaining to say the least.

Killian had given Emma something resembling a promise ring for Christmas. He was surprised she accepted. He was surprised he had actually given it to her; had even purchased it. He wasn't one for tying himself down to a person and Emma didn't seem that type either. He supposes that's why they get on so well. With her, he just felt something different than what he's felt with all the other women he's been with. He feels drawn to her and he's not quite sure why. He and Emma were the new people in this small seaside town. They were pretty much outsiders, perhaps that's what drew them together in the first place. Chuckling to himself at the memory.

Killian had been working at the docks for a little over three months when he saw the blonde wander onto the dock. She looked to be lost in thought, a bit troubled. She leaned against the railing, contemplative, looking uncertain. Perhaps running from trouble and not sure if this was a good stopping point. He decided to approach her, he certainly wasn't making any friends in this town, or enemies for that matter. It wouldn't hurt either way and who knew how the interaction might turn out?

"Killian Jones, at your service," he offered his hand to her. She looked startled, a bit taken aback. Shocked, even, that someone would interrupt her quiet time. She backed away from him.

"Uh, hi." She simply returned.

"I see you've wandered onto our docks. How are you enjoying the view?"

"Um, it's alright, good, it's cool." Killian could tell she was a bit nervous.

"Well, I know of a place that's got an even better view." She arched her eyebrows and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Really, and uh, which view would that be?"

"Me, of course!" She scoffed. Perhaps he should dial down the charm. Well, he thought he was being charming. This approach usually worked on women, the desperate type at least. Which a lot of them were. He was good – looking and had a sexy accent, who could resist that?

"Oh, I see. A view of you behind bars for harassment, yes, I think I would love that view. Feigning hurt, Killian brought his hand to his chest. Time for a different tactic.

"Oh, you wound me with your words!"

"Good, now maybe you'll take your mortally wounded self somewhere in a corner and die a peaceful, quiet death while I return to viewing the ocean from here." Emma returned her gaze to the harbor and stared hard out to the sea.

"Well love, no need for such hostilities. I'm just trying to make a friend. I'm new here and a bit out of my element it seems. Sorry." He even managed to look somewhat genuine. Emma turned back to look at him.

"Yeah, sorry, this place really isn't the best environment for making new friends. It's a small town. It'll take you a while for people to warm up to you, unless you run into Mary – Margaret and David." She returned her gaze to the harbor.

"Look, uh, I seem to be irritating you."

"You got that right," she said without missing a beat.

"I want to make it up to you, will you let me do that?" She turned to him and studied him hard. Her eyes seemed to pierce his soul.

"Sure, why not?" She said after what felt like an eternity.

"Really?" Killian said in disbelief. He couldn't believe how easy it was to convince her to let him take her out.

"Really. Meet me at the Rabbit Hole around nine." Killian's mouth fell open.

"The Rabbit Hole? That's hardly an appropriate place for a date."

"Exactly. This isn't a date. You'll be a couple of drinks under the watchful eye of a trusted bartender. We'll play a couple of rounds of pool until you get tired of me whipping your ass and having your pride wounded we'll probably never speak again."

"You're serious?"

"These are my terms. Do you accept? If not, you can kindly be on your way. Actually, either way, you can be on your way. I will be there at nine regardless if you show up or not." And with that final declaration, Emma walked further down the dock and away from him.

* * *

There was a light rapping on the window of the door to Killian's office. It was Emma, she came after all. He put down the pen he was twirling around in his hand and let out an excited grin, hopping out of his chair to greet her as she pushed the door open.

"Thinkin' really hard 'bout somethin'?" She asked as soon as she set foot in the office.

"Nope, just about our first date."

"Our first date?"

"Yeah, down at the Rabbit Hole."

"My dear sir, if that was our first date I may need to rethink this entire relationship. Thanks for the bear claws, by the way."

"You're welcome, I thought it would get you out of bed. What do you mean rethink our relationship?"

"Going to the Rabbit Hole is not a place for a date, especially not a first date. That is just terrible. Why would you think that was our first date?"

"Because, it was just the two of us, together, spending time together, getting to know one another," Emma let out a wry chuckle at Killian's response.

"Uh, no. You should know by now that I head out to the Rabbit Hole every Saturday around nine, with or without you. It's how I unwind from the week. Just because you happened to show up did not make it a date."

"But you gave me a time and a place to be there. So I could spend time with you, getting to know you. That's what people do on dates."

"Well, maybe I like a guy to pick me up after I've spent hours getting dressed up, not wearing jeans, a tight fitting t – shirt, combat boots and a leather jacket."

"Touché."

"So, why did you bribe me with bear claws? You know I like my sleep, just as much as I like bear claws."

"I just thought maybe you'd like to spend some time with down at the docks. Maybe take a boat ride?"

"Hmmm, that's it? Just a random boat ride? In the middle of winter? When I could be sleeping?"

"Well, if you want to sleep on the boat ride, I suppose you can, but you'll be missing out on a lot."

"Really? A lot like what?"

"Well, a nice picnic lunch for one. A nice breeze. Me protecting you from the cold with the warmth of my body heat. Or maybe adventures on the high seas."

"Oh really?" She let out a guffaw.

"Oi, come on Swan, I'm just trying to spend some time with you. Help you relax. I know you want to. The holidays have been rough on you, spending time with people when I know you prefer your alone time." Killian sighed as he approached Emma and began rubbing her shoulders.

"You're right, I do love my alone time. Which is what I was doing before bear claws and coffee randomly showed up on my coffee table."

"Well, you can enjoy alone time with me! I'll just take you out on the boat and be the captain of your solo boat ride, how does that sound?" Emma craned her neck so she could properly look at Killian. She smiled at him before turning around completely and wrapping her arms around her neck.

"I knew there was a reason I liked you."

"You like me?"

"Uh huh," she said shaking her head and then leaning forward to capture his lips in a kiss.

"Well then, I'll consider myself one lucky guy! Come on! Our lunch will get cold." He said as he pulled Emma through his office door and headed out towards his boat. A young deck hand rushed towards them with a huge basket and the warms scent of fish and chips wafted through the air as he handed the basket over to Killian. Killian offered Emma his arm and she gladly accepted it, allowing him to help her onto the boat before handing her the picnic basket. She settled herself into the boat and watched as Killian made preparations for cast away. Emma smiled to herself for trusting her instinct in that first meeting on the docks a couple of months ago. She wasn't sure back then if she could stay in Storybrooke anymore and with each passing day with Killian she was nearing that point to be glad she decided to stay.

* * *

Hope it wasn't too cringe - worthy. And as always, I love reviews! Please don't forget to leave me one - whether you hated it, loved it, missed the OQ...something...don't make me beg...

H. A.


	22. Days On, Nigts Off

Thanks for the reviews for the last chapter! Here's another one for you guys...nothing but OQ goodness!

* * *

Regina was feeling a little restless. Unfortunate for her. Robin was gone. He had to work. It was a new work schedule they were trying at the sheriff's office and she wasn't overly excited about it. Every two weeks someone else had to take the night shift for two weeks. It was Robin's turn. He was on day three and Regina wasn't sure how she would make it through the rest of the days, well, nights. She stretched out her arm to the other side of the bed. Roland had climbed in the bed with her. Roland took his promise to watch over his mama very seriously. She couldn't the chuckle that spilled from her lips. She adjusted herself so she was lying comfortably on her side and carefully stroked the little boy's head. He let out a small sigh before shuffling close to her. It warmed her heart at how quickly Roland adjusted to her being in his life and she had to admit she missed Henry wanting to be close to her like Roland was. Her heart ached at the memories of Henry when he was younger. She was glad she got to experience it with Roland, and in a few months, the newest member of their family. Regina wrapped her arms around the little boy and kissed the top of his head. She rearranged the covers around them and snuggled down, hoping sleep would claim her soon, or else she would be pretty grumpy when it was time for her to get up in the morning.

* * *

Robin threw another dart at the dart board. It was three o'clock in the morning. He dragged his hand down his face. It was his third night on the night shift. He wasn't sure how Graham had endured it for so many years. Graham was probably reveling in having a normal day for once. Robin's only solace was that everyone in the department had to take a two – week night shift. His mind drifted to Regina and how upset she was the day he told her of the new scheduling. She was a little bit clingy than what he was used to. He'd fallen in love with her independence. He liked to think this side of Regina had something to do with the pregnancy. He was going to admit that he liked her being so clingy either. She would murder him with a cold stare of her eyes if he dared bring it up. He picked up his cell phone to check for messages. The first night was really bad. He's pretty sure Regina hadn't slept at all, considering she was sending him text messages almost every twenty minutes. Tonight though, tonight she hadn't sent him anything. He made Henry and Roland promise to look after Regina. He made them promise that if she had a midnight craving they had to get up and get it for her, no matter what is was. If it was something they didn't have in the house, they could text him or call him and he would get it for her. Robin didn't want a repeat from a couple of weeks ago in which he didn't follow through with her crazy food requests to the tee and had earned himself an evening on the sofa. Three o'clock. Only three and half more hours to go. David would be in at six thirty to relieve him, for that he was grateful. That time gave him at least an hour to spend with Regina and the boys before they headed off to work and school and then he got to enjoy the house all to himself.

* * *

Regina always had a habit of waking up early, before her alarm went off. This morning was no different. She slowly opened her eyes, feeling a little bit more rested than she had in the past three nights without Robin by her side. Throughout the night she migrated to the edge of the bed, like she usually did during the night. It would still be a few more minutes before the alarm would go off and she'd have to wake the boys and get them ready for school, without Robin. With the pregnancy advancing, she found herself tired more often. Some days were easier than others. Today felt like it would be a hard day. She sighed, resigned herself to try and get through it. She switched off the alarm before it had a chance to go off. She rolled over to gently wake Roland, he wasn't there. That little boy would sleep through a tornado. Regina sat up with a start, feeling panicky.

"Roland!" She called out as she got out of bed. She grabbed her house coat and headed out her bedroom. She stopped in front of the hallway bathroom, the light wasn't on. She proceeded down the hall to his bedroom, no lights on in there either. Next stop was Henry's bedroom. The door was shut. She gently rapped her knuckles on the door to let him know, if he was awake, that she would be entering his room. Her sleepy head son was still wrapped in the warm covers of his bed.

"Henry," she called out to her son. "Henry!" She called more harshly.

"I'm up, I'm up!" Henry called out in a raspy voice as he sat up abruptly and almost fell out of his bed.

"Is Roland in here with you?"

"Huh?"

"Roland, did he come get into bed with you?" Henry felt around in his bed for any sign of the five – year old.

"No, I don't think so, why?"

"I can't find him anywhere. Will you help me look?" Henry nodded his head and through the covers back to help his mother on her mission to find her little knight.

"Did you look in his room?"

"Of course I did."

"Did you check your bedroom? Your closet, maybe?"

"What would he be doing in there exactly?"

"I dunno," Henry shrugged his shoulders, "playing dress – up?" Regina scoffed and ruffled Henry's hair.

"Let's check the office."

"You mean the baby's room? It isn't exactly your office anymore mom."

"The baby isn't here yet. It's still my office." She defended as she pushed the door open to her office which had started accumulating an insane amount of baby – related items. They really needed to get started on redecorating the office. There was so much stuff in there she could barely move around to search for Roland. He wasn't in there either.

"Looks like the only other place is downstairs. Maybe he wanted to watch Robin Hood because he misses Robin?" Henry suggested. Henry started towards the stairs, but hung back a little to wait for his mother. With all this rushing around, she seemed a little winded. Henry started down the stairs first, closely followed by Regina.

"Roland! Roland, are you down here?" Regina called as they descended the stairs.

"I'm right here mama!" The little boy suddenly appeared at the bottom of the stairs. Regina side – stepped Henry in a rush to get to Roland. She scooped the little boy up and gave him a tight hug. "Ow mommy, you're squishing me!"

"Oh, sorry. You gave me a fright. Where did you go? I thought you were in the bed with me."

"I was, but I heard daddy so I went to see him!"

"You father's home? It's too early," Regina said as she set Roland down. "Where is he?"

"He's in the kitchen. We were making breakfast for you! Come on, it's almost done!" Roland grabbed Regina by the hand and pulled her towards the kitchen. Sure enough there was Robin putting his finishing touches on what appeared to be French Toast with strawberries, no whipped cream.

"Well what do we have here?"

"Greetings, mi'lady. For your pleasure sir Roland and I have prepared a breakfast fit for a queen." Regina smirked as she walked over and placed a kiss on his cheek and a chaste kiss on his lips. Oh how she missed him. Their time together during his night shift rotation was so brief and she wanted to savor every moment they had. Regina noticed the coffee already made and orange juice poured into glasses. "Whatcha doin?" Robin asked as he finished plating the food and started to carry the plates to the table. "Have a seat, love. Let me do this for you. For doing so well last night," Robin added with a wink. Regina simply smirked and sat down at the kitchen table. She was hungry and Robin's French toast was ah – mazing, even Squishy agreed. Robin sat next to Regina as they all ate in silence. Robin simply grinned as he watched Regina wolf down her first serving of French toast and scan the other plates on the table to see if everyone finished everything on their plates. It seems the boys enjoyed their food as well. Robin chuckled and took one of his slices of French toast and placed it on Regina's plate. She looked questioningly at him, unsure and he simply nodded his head. That was all she needed to start in on her third slice. Sure, she might regret eating so much now but it was worth it.

"Alright boys, go get dressed and I'll take you to school," Robin instructed as he stood up to clear the table. Regina simply sat to allow the food to settle in her stomach. "Aren't you going to get ready for work, babe?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I just ate so much, I needed to rest for a few moments. Are you trying to get rid of me?"

"What? And have the house all to myself? No one to interrupt my peaceful slumber because they need something to eat? Oh yeah, I can't wait for that!" Regina smacked his arm as she stood to head upstairs to get ready for work.

"Thank you for breakfast. I was counting down the days until our schedule returned to normal, but if you make breakfast and take the boys to school I don't know if I want to let that go." She placed a kiss on his lips, tasting the last remnants of French toast and coffee and went off to ready herself for work.

* * *

Robin returned home from dropping the boys off at school to an empty house. He was a little sad. He thought Regina would wait for his return before she headed off to work. That woman would work herself to the bone if he let her. He hung his coat in the hallway closet and took off his boots by the front door. The bed was calling his name, as well as the shower. He trudged upstairs and stripped himself of his clothes while he waited for the shower to warm. After a few moments, he stepped in and let the warm water cascade off his front before turning around to let it run down his back. The water felt heavenly. The minutes ticked by and found the warm water shifting to cold and Robin knew it was time to exit the shower. He stepped out and grabbed the towel and wrapped it around his waist before grabbing the toothbrush and brushed his teeth. Once done, he exited the bathroom and dressed for bed. Hopefully he would be able to get some sleep. If anyone asked, he would deny, but he suspects he has just as hard of a time falling asleep without Regina by his side during the day as Regina does without him by her side during the night.

When Robin woke next, it was around ten o'clock. The phone on the night stand let out a buzz, sounding out a second notification someone had texted him. It was a message from Regina thanking him yet again for breakfast and that when their schedule returned to normal she planned on showing just how grateful she was for him and his "talents". He chuckled and shot off a text indicating how much her promise tortured him. She responded asking what he would do for the rest of the day. He had to think for a few minutes before telling her he would finish moving the stuff out of her office and start painting Squishy's room. She told him that was fine, but he wasn't allowed to do anymore decorating or arranging of furniture without her there.

Robin swung his feet out of the bed and headed to the walk – in closet. If he was going to paint, he needed painting appropriate clothing or Regina would kill him. There was a pair of jeans Regina was constantly after him to throw out. They would serve him well for painting. He grabbed the blue tooth speaker and headed down the hall. Robin carried Regina's office chair down the stairs and into the sitting room she had filled with books. Next was her desk. It was a stately piece and Robin wasn't quite sure how he would get it down the stairs. Regina would kill him if he damaged it in any way. He tried to think of people he could get to come help him out for a little bit. Killian was the first to come to mind. It usually wasn't hard to get Killian to blow off work for a few hours. Nothing terribly interesting happened down at the docks, especially during the Winter months. No harm, no foul, right?

 _Hey Kil_

 _Plz do not call me Kil_

 _Sorry, Hey Killian_

 _Much better, what can I do for ya mate?_

 _How would feel about moving furniture?_

 _Moving furniture? What's in it for me?_

 _Um, beer?_

 _Sold. When are we doing this?_

 _Now?_

 _Aww, I can't drink right now, I'm at work_

 _Raincheck on the beer, but I really need your help RN_

 _Ok, ok, give me 15_

 _Great_

While Robin waited for Killian, he removed all the stuff on and in Regina's desk to make it easier to move. True to his word, it really did only take Killian fifteen minutes to get to Robin and Regina's house on Miflin Street. Killian sounded his arrival with the ringing of the doorbell. Robin was carrying the last items from Regina's desk to the room on the first floor.

"Glad you could make it!" Robin exclaimed in greeting as he opened the door.

"Yeah, anything to help out a friend," Killian said as he clasped Robin's hand, pulled Robin close and clapped a hand on his back. The two men headed upstairs to figure out the best way to move Regina's desk down the stairs.

"Why don't we get a blanket, put the desk on top and we can slide it to the stairs?" Suggested Killian. Robin agreed and went in search of a blanket he didn't think Regina would mind getting slightly damaged. It took them about thirty minutes to work the desk down the stairs and into the sitting room. The two men congratulated themselves on a job well done. They headed to the living room to sit for a spell and catch up with each other. Robin was feeling a little left of social gatherings given his isolation on the night shift and once again found himself wondering how Graham had put up with it for so long. Soon, it was time for Killian to return to work and Robin found himself alone, once again. Robin headed back upstairs to finally start on painting.

* * *

It was during the bridge of Queen's _Bohemian Rhapsody_ and the third wall Regina walked into the house. She could hear her dear husband belting his lungs out upstairs. She quickly kicked off her heels and headed up the stairs. She stood in the doorway of what was now her former office in awe of how much work Robin had completed. She was just a little sad she wasn't getting to help. Robin turned around to see his wife with a sad look in her eye as she watched him. He quickly put down the paint roller and shut off the music.

"Regina, what are you doing here?"

"I wasn't feeling well, so I decided to come home. Will that bother you?"

"You weren't feeling well? Did you eat too much this morning?" He laughed as he walked towards Regina and took her in his arms. He could feel her take a deep breath and hug him close to her. He pulled back to stare into her eyes misting over. "Hey, you okay?"

"Mmhmm, now that I'm here. Guess I just needed your touch," she smirked. Robin chuckled, smiling down at his wife.

"I see, well then, let's put you to work. I don't think you can stand it that I'm doing all of this without you."

"Hmm, you're right about that. I have some clothes that I bought just for this occasion." Regina disappeared down the hall and returned a few moments later wearing nothing but a sports bra covered by a pair of overalls. "I'm ready whenever you are."

"Alright, well, all I really have left is to finish this one wall and that one. You think you can handle that?" Regina shook her head as Robin handed her a roller. They worked in silence for a little while before Regina put her roller down. The overhead work was straining her back. Now that she thought about it, they really should have started working on the room long before now, before she was showing and couldn't be of much help due to the effort it took to carry the extra weight. She let out a small sigh and sat down on the floor. Robin turned to see her in her spot on the floor.

"Oh love, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine. I just can't do as much work on the room as I wanted. I'm too big for this."

"Regina dear, you're not big! What are you talking about?"

"My back hurts from carrying this extra weight. Painting the wall isn't exactly making it feel better."

"Oh, your back hurts?"

"Mmhmm."

"Would you like me to make it feel better?"

"Mmhmm."

Robin placed his roller down and motioned for Regina to sit with her back towards him. He started in on her shoulders, kneading and massaging them. Regina sank into his touch, letting out soft moans. Robin slowly worked his hands down her back, heading straight to the low back, knowing that's where she hurt the most. Regina shifted her legs and with a little effort laid down on her side. Robin continued to knead her back before he worked his hands back up her body. She rolled back slightly so she could look at him. Her eyes were pleading and he leaned forward to capture her lips. Her eyes closed at the contact. He stayed there for a moment before she opened her mouth to grant Robin access. Their tongues danced an all familiar dance for a few moments before Regina became uncomfortable lying on her side. Robin shifted Regina onto her back. He placed his hands on either side of her face to support himself over her body. He didn't want to crush her or their Squishy under his weight. Regina chuckled a little before wrapping her arms around his neck to bring him closer. Her legs shifted to accommodate him. Robin pulled back to stare into Regina's eyes. She began writhing underneath him. It didn't take much to work her up, especially now she was in her second trimester and the nausea phase seemed a distant memory. She immediately reached for the bottom of his shirt to pull it up and over his head. Robin sat up to help her out. Robin pulled Regina to a seated position and pulled down the straps of her overalls. He gazed at her breasts, barely contained in the sports bra she was wearing.

"Gee, Regina, do you think it might be time for a larger size?" She smiled slyly.

"Perhaps, I haven't had time to go shopping for new workout clothes. Are you complaining?"

"No, no, I just thought you might be more comfortable."

"I would be more comfortable without it on." She whispered huskily before pulling the sports bra off so that now Robin could gaze at her breasts that seem to have doubled in size. He reached out and cupped them and Regina let out a soft moan. He began massaging those too, tweaking the nipples so they stood in sharp peaks. He leaned forward and took the right one into his mouth while continuing to knead and twirl the other. Regina rolled her head backwards as she grasped Robin's head. She was going crazy. She had this pent up energy and coming home early to fuck Robin's brains out was all she could think about since the idea popped in her head while reading through one of those trashy romance novels her secretary dropped off in her mailbox. Didn't her coworkers know what they were doing to her? She was an emotional bundle of hormones and she had a very vivid imagination. An imagination that catalogued fantasies. Fantasies such as this. Coming home to a lover painting and the two lovers painting each other on canvas while they made love. Yes, this is what Regina had in mind when she got to the end of the fifth chapter of that trashy romance novel and cancelled the rest of her day and drove all the way home. Robin switched breasts and Regina could feel warmth pooling in her cunt. She felt the heat building in her core and was beginning to feel rather impatient with Robin's ministrations. She was certain she wouldn't last long if he kept this up. She pulled back. The look she gave Robin when he non verbally questioned her actions scare him just a little. She pushed him back and she sat on her knees, working the rest of the overalls off so all she had on were her panties. Black lace panties she changed into when she put on the overalls. Robin's eyes went wide with shock. Regina lunged forward and immediately began to divest Robin of his jeans. She could feel how hard Robin was already as her hands glazed over his boxers when she pulled down his jeans. Robin let out a shudder. Regina then crawled up his body and settled onto his lap while he leaned back and supported himself on his forearms. She straddled him slowly began rolling her hips against him. He could feel her wetness through his boxers and it had him quickly rising to the occasion, so much so he was leaking a little bit as well. Regina noticed. She stopped rolling her hips and lifted them just enough to pull her panties to the side and she began stroking herself. She reached her hand forward to allow Robin to taste. He sucked her fingers as she grinned in pleasure. A question danced on his lips.

"Do you want to be on top? I don't want to hurt you or Squishy." In response, Regina simply leaned forward, placing her hand on his mouth, silencing him. She stood all the way up to take off her panties and Robin wriggled his boxers down. Regina helped pull them completely off. There she was standing over him. She was beautiful. Her belly now held a firm, rounded bulge that she could no longer hide. Right now though, that was the furthest thing from her mind. She lowered herself back down to the floor and grasped Robin in her hands. She began stroking him, starting from the tip and working her way down to the base. Once she got him going, she took him in her mouth, slowly, inch by inch. She continued to work him with her hand while swirling her tongue across the tip until she could feel Robin starting to twitch in her mouth. She pulled all the way up and grasped herself once again, stroking herself, reveling in how wet she was. She took hold of Robin once more, bringing him to her entrance and settling herself on top. She sat for a moment to allow herself to adjust to him. Robin was more than ready now. He grabbed her hips to get her going. She slapped his hands away. She rolled her hips around, slowly, wanting the moment to last for as long as possible. After a few minutes Robin reached up and grabbed her hips again. This time she let him set a rhythm. He brought her high and slammed her down, slapping skin against skin. She kind of enjoyed it. She leaned forward, bracing her hands on his shoulders once she adjusted to the rhythm. It was such a wondrous feeling and she wasn't sure if was because they hadn't made love in a few weeks or the high of acting out this fantasy she been thinking of the entire afternoon. Robin's body arched to meet her pound for pound. The paint can tipped over, but neither one of them cared. They both found themselves reaching their peak together as the shouted out their pleasure. Regina slowed her pace in an effort to come down as she felt Robin softening inside. She wasn't quite ready to be done, she knew, she could feel. Robin got the picture too given how fast Regina was still going. He placed his hands on hers to stop her.

"Shhh. Lay back," Robin instructed before Regina could complain. He was sure she was trying to work him up for another round. She complied. He pulled her towards him and placed her legs over his shoulders. He immediately went to work. He started just on the outside of her vaginal folds, not much foreplay was needed for she was still quite worked up from before. He could feel her already trembling. He brought one hand up to trace his fingers in her delicate slit. She reached her hand down on top of his to encourage him where she wanted him to go. He grinned and replaced their hands with his tongue. She let out a soft moan. He lapped at her juices and pretty soon had her trying to scramble away from him. Oh, this was good. He placed a hand on her belly to try to hold her in place. He wasn't sure how much pressure to use, given her pregnant state, but he knew she would let him know if he'd gone too far. He spread her lips even further to swirl his tongue around before darting his tongue inside and sucking, hard. She jerked hard and he found himself drowning in the liquid that came spilling forth. She was gasping for breath. He wiped at his mouth and brought himself up beside her. They were both covered in a sheen of sweat.

"So, what do you think of the baby's room now?" Robin asked once Regina's breath seemed to steady.

"Well, I don't think we'd decided to paint the floor," she responded.

"Well my dear, that's what drop clothes are for," he said as he grabbed her, pulled her close and dropped a kiss on her head. She pulled his arm in front of her so she could look at his watch. Her eyes widened in horror.

"Oh shit, the boys will be home in fifteen minutes!" She screeched out while pulling herself into a sitting position. "We need to get cleaned up right now," she exclaimed, trying to pull Robin with her. He shook his head and allowed Regina to pull him to his feet and off towards the shower in their bedroom. Even their impromptu afternoon romps were still somehow under Regina's control, but Robin supposed that was something he could deal with as long as he got to spend the rest of his life with her.

* * *

Thanks for reading! And as always, please leave a review, I love reading them and hearing from you, the readers.

H. A.


	23. Upgrade

Hey guys in honor of my birthday I decided to post a new chapter. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

 _Damnit_

 _Well hello to you too, Regina_

 _Shut up_

 _What's going on?_

…

 _Regina?_

…

 _Regina if you don't tell me what's going on, I'm going to call and keep you on the phone for a very long time_

 _I can't fit my fat clothes_

"You what?" Mary – Margaret apparently let what Regina told her in text go in one ear and out the other.

"I thought you said if I told you what was wrong you wouldn't call me." Regina huffed out when she answered the phone.

"Well we both know there was a possibility I would call. What's this about your fat clothes?"

"I've gotten so big I can't fit into my fat clothes." Regina half – whined into the phone.

"Oh, I see. Say it." Mary – Margaret teased.

"Don't make me; this is hard enough as it is."

"For goodness sakes Regina, it's not as if you haven't been pregnant before. You knew this was going to happen."

"I know, I know, I just didn't expect it to happen so soon."

"Okay, well now that we've addressed your denial, what would you like to do about it?"

"Will you come shopping with me?" Regina muttered under her breath.

"I don't think I heard you."

"Ahem, I said, 'Will you come shopping with me?'"

"Only if you let me take you to the maternity store." Mary – Margaret could hear Regina's indignation over the line. "Regina." Mary – Margaret returned tersely.

"Alright, fine. But most of the pieces have to come from the department store. I have an image to uphold at work. I refuse to be seen in frilly mu mus."

"What? Frilly mu mus?"

"Yes, those things you wore towards the end of your pregnancy. I'm a bit more refined." Regina could hear Mary – Margaret sigh into the phone.

"Regina, you know what, never mind. When do you want to go shopping? David's on his two week rotation so my evenings are free, but we'll have to bring along Neal."

"We can leave Neal with Robin."

"Can he handle Neal?"

"It'll be fine. I'll tell him it'll be practice for when Squishy gets here. Although, he thinks he's more brushed up on babies than I am because it's only been five years since Roland's been a baby and about twelve for Henry."

"Okay, so does that mean you want to go shopping as soon as possible?"

"Yes, tomorrow, when I get off from work. I'll even leave a little early. How does four o' clock, no earlier, no later sound?"

"That sounds fine Regina."

"Great, meet you at the house. Wait, damn pregnancy brain."

"What?"

"Robin doesn't get home until around six. How comfortable are you leaving Neal with Henry?"

"Um, well - "

"He's a very responsible twelve - year old. Neal can practically take care of himself, he just needs cheerios and Finding Nemo running on repeat." This time Mary – Margaret actually laughed into the phone.

"Well then, if you're that confident, I suppose he'll be fine for two hours. Robin will be home at six? You promise?"

"Yes, although I don't think the shopping trip will take that long. I'll have to get dinner sorted out for them as well."

"Ooooo, can you make your vegetable beef stew? Since I'm helping you out here?"

"I suppose I could do that for you."

"Alright, it's settled. I'll meet you at your house at four o'clock."

"No earlier, no later."

"Yes, yes, I know the drill."

"Do you? Sometimes I don't think you do."

"Good – bye, Regina."

Regina clicked her cell phone off and placed it on the counter. Then she stabbed the knife she was using to slice vegetables into the bamboo cutting board. That got Robin's attention.

"Regina?" He called out, holding out the last syllable. Regina sighed in response. Robin rolled his eyes. Lately Regina had been getting on his nerves. He couldn't understand what was wrong with this woman he called his wife. It was understandable that she would be a little needy but her behavior far exceeded his expectations. With her behavior early on in the pregnancy he thought he would have to practically beg the woman to take it easy and let him do some of the work for her. She was driving him up the wall about every single little thing. This morning it had been how she could barely fit into her pantsuit that she wanted to wear to church. He suggested she wear one of her period dresses, like he did a few months ago before they realized she was pregnant. The look she gave him would have killed Hitler on sight. She stalked off to the closet and pulled out her dresses, tossing them on the bed and asked him to pick one out. He hesitated before she shouted at him to go ahead and pick one since he was so damn smart. One by one she tried on those dresses and one by one they got stuck when she tried to pull them over her belly. The first two try – ons Robin chuckled, but after the fifth dress he actually felt sorry for his wife. She couldn't go to church with them so she sent the men off because Robin clearly needed a reminder how he was supposed to treat his wife and the boys needed a good example to follow.

Regina stood at the kitchen counter, her hand still on the hilt of the chef's knife she was using. Approaching her from behind, Robin placed his hands on her shoulders. She tensed. He rubbed her shoulders until she relaxed a little bit.

"Regina love, what'd that cutting board ever do to you?" Regina let out a wry laugh, shaking her head. That was one of the things she loved about Robin, his ability to diffuse a situation with his cracked up sense of humor. Her chuckle soon dissolved into a fit a laughter that had tears streaming down her face. She eventually turned around in his embrace and brought her arms around his neck and just held him until she calmed down. Robin pushed her back so he could get a good look at her and gauge whether or not his wife had finally gone off the deep end.

"Right, now that you've calmed down, tell me what's going on."

"Do you know what I just had to do?" Robin shook his head no. "I just had to call and ask Mary – Margaret to take me maternity clothes shopping."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"She's wanted to go for a couple of weeks now. She was holding this over my head. Practically laughing in my face for my thinking that I could get away with wearing my regular clothes for much longer. Oh Robin, this isn't fair." Robin pulled her back into an embrace, chuckling and rubbing her back.

"Oh love, no it's not fair that you get to carry our child in your belly, protecting it, nourishing it, caring for it, making sure it'll be the most awesome kid in the whole wide world and I don't. If I could I would carry it for you so you don't ruin your figure. But I can't. Tell me what I can do to help." Regina stopped sniffling and looked up at him. Slowly her mouth spread into a wide grin. "Uh oh, I take it back!" She tossed her head back and laughed.

"Oh, no, you don't get to take it back. The baby is already in here," she said motioning to her protruding belly, made more pronounced by the apron she had tied across it. "There is something you can do."

"I have a feeling I'm going to regret asking, but what is it I can do for you?"

"You can hand me your credit card."

"My credit card? You have one of your own!" Robin was incredulous that his wife would ask for his credit card. They were both older and had their own finances sorted. When it came to paying bills in the house, Regina paid the mortgage and Robin paid the utilities. Most of the time groceries would come out of Regina's pocket as well. He never thought she would be the type of woman to ask for her husband's money after being independent for so long.

"Mmmhmm, it's your part in taking care of Squishy," she said as she returned to chopping the vegetables for a wedge salad she was making to snack on.

"Well, okay, just don't crazy, okay?"

"I promise. Something else."

"What's that?"

"I need you to watch the boys tomorrow afternoon. Neal too. And I need you to go to the grocery store right now."

"Watch the boys tomorrow afternoon? I don't get home until sixish, you know that."

"Well, watch them when you get home. Henry should be okay until you get here."

"You're going to trust your twelve – year old son to watch Neal and Roland?"

"He can do it."

"Alright, and what is it you need from the store?"

"Ingredients."

"Oh? Ingredients for a curse?" Regina looked indignant.

"So my cooking is a curse now? How about you find something else to eat for dinner tonight, then?"

"I'm just teasing Gina, I love your cooking! I'm not a very good cook myself and your food tastes heavenly."

"Uh huh, I see. I need stuff for vegetable beef stew. It's Mary – Margaret's payment for taking me shopping."

"Alright!" Robin exclaimed excitedly. "I've grown quite fond of your vegetable beef stew."

"Good, now be a dear and be off with you. Can you take the boys with you too? Let them pick out a dessert that may or may not have something to do with chocolate ice cream."

"You want chocolate ice cream?"

"Nooooo, the boys want chocolate ice cream. And Squishy, but Squishy can't come with you to the store right no, it wants to stay here, nice and warm and tucked away in my belly." Robin laughed and wrapped his arms around Regina's front, caressing her stomach, rubbing soothing circles. They were somewhat anxious to feel the baby kick. Sometimes Regina thought she could feel rumblings, but then she would pass gas. Another annoying thing about pregnancy; that darn uterus rearranging her internal organs and compressing them this way and that. They stayed that way for a little while until a small voice interrupted them.

"Mama, can I have a snack, please?" Roland looked up at Regina, with his hands clasped together underneath his chin. She chuckled lightly and stooped down to grasp his chin and tilted it upwards.

"Of course you may, my little knight. Here, have a banana." Roland shook his head no.

"Mama I don't want a banana. I want chips."

"You may have a banana or nothing. Which will it be?" Roland titled his head down with a pout on his lips. He looked back up at her with the tiniest of tears pricking the corners of his eyes. His lips trembled slightly, threatening to utter the smallest of sobs. Roland was really milking his feigned hurt. Regina played these games just as well, if not better than the five – year old. She caught on a few weeks ago that he was looking for attention and it didn't matter what kind he got – negative or positive. "Now Roland, you know that won't work on me. Your father perhaps, but not me. I've raised a five – year old already. I know all the games and I've won them all." Roland looked up at her questioningly, the tears receding. It was really Henry's idea in the first place. Roland wasn't even hungry, Henry wanted the snack. Henry wanted the chips and figured Roland could adorable his way into convincing Regina to give them some chips. Roland was fumbling now; he wasn't sure what to do. Neither he nor Henry discussed what to do should Regina say no. So, Roland just stood there, looking a like a deer caught in headlights. He watched Regina and Robin exchange confused glances before his father finally stooped down to talk to him.

"Roland, you okay son?"

"Um, yes. I was just in the mood for something salty."

"In the mood for something salty?" Roland shook his head yes, enthusiastically. "What do you mean?" Not totally convinced that Roland knew anything about being 'in the mood' for different types of food.

"You know like mama!" This time Regina regarded him with an inquisitive look.

"Roland, what do you mean like mama?"

"You know when you say you're in the mood for stuff and daddy gets it for you." Robin stood back up and exchanged a look with Regina before the two adults burst into laughter. Regina was laughing so hard she brought a hand to her chest and clasped Robin on the shoulder. Roland was a little confused by his parents' reactions. He didn't know why what he said was funny.

"Oh, my dear boy. Regina, I think we'll have to give him the chips for this, just this once." Robin leaned in to kiss his wife on the cheek.

"Alright, I suppose just this once." Regina walked over to the cabinet that held the salty snack she sent Robin out to the store to get last week and placed a few onto a plate for him. Roland took the plate and headed towards the den.

"Roland, where are you going with those? You know have to eat at the table." Roland stopped dead in his tracks. Henry hadn't discussed what to do about that either. Clearly Henry needs to work on the finer points in Operation Snack.

"Um, I wanted to eat them while me and Henry watched my movie."

"It's a school night Roland, you're not supposed to be watching movies. Either homework or constructive play." Regina folded her arms across her chest, well now they rested on top of her belly, to emphasize how serious she was.

"Can I sit at the dining room table with them?" If he sat at the dining room table they wouldn't be able to see Henry help him eat the chips.

"I suppose that's alright," Regina relented.

"Eat up son, we're going to the store in about fifteen minutes."

"We are?"

"Yeah, mama needs some ingredients to brew a special potion." That remark earned Robin a smack on the arm. She resumed vegetable chopping.

"Special potion?"

"Your father's being silly. I'm making a special dinner tomorrow and I don't have everything I need, so he's being a darling prince and going to the store. Don't you want to go with him?"

"Ohh kay," Roland let out an exasperated sigh. He really wanted to finish the movie he and Henry were watching without their parents' permission. Henry had turned the tv on with the volume low. The idea was that since the parents were hanging out in the kitchen together, cooking dinner, they would be too occupied to come and check on the boys. That idea was a bust. Henry really sucked at his operations, Roland surmised.

When Roland finally emerged from the kitchen, Henry was waiting for him.

"How did it go?"

"Henry, your operation sucked."

"Whadya mean? You got the chips, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but mama tried to give ma a banana first. You didn't tell me what to do if she did that."

"Well, it seems you're a smart kid. You got us chips!"

"Uh – uh, they're my chips now. I worked real hard for them. Get your own." And with that declaration, Roland sat himself down at the dining room table and started munching happily away on the chips. Henry stared for a moment before reaching forward to steal a chip off Roland's plate. Roland looked at Henry as if he'd just punched him. It took a few moments before Roland let out a loud wail. Henry promptly dropped the chip he was holding and tried to shush Roland before the parents could make their way out to the dining room.

"Shhh, Roland be quiet. You'll get us into trouble. I'll let you read my new comic book," Henry pleaded. Roland continued to sob. "I'll watch Robin Hood with you whenever you want. We can go watch it right now, but you've got to stop crying."

"What. Is. Going. On. Out. Here."

Too late, Regina and Robin were standing in the swinging door that stood between the kitchen and dining room. Roland stopped crying and was merely sniffling. Henry abruptly stood up.

"Nothing."

"If nothing's going on, why is Roland crying?"

"He was sad because he had to sit at the table, right Roland?" Henry stared at Roland, hoping his body language would indicate that Roland should follow along with the lie Henry was telling. Brothers wouldn't rat each other out, right?

"Is that true Roland?" Roland swiveled his head between Henry and his parents. He certainly wanted to read Henry's comic book and watch Robin Hood. If his parents discovered he was lying that could end badly. He was already in enough trouble as it was with Regina. She no longer let him get away with his usual antics. He supposed that was because all her focus was on the baby.

"Roland, Regina asked you a question. It's okay, you can tell us the truth. Remember what happens when we tell lies," Robin said, hoping to coax his son into telling him what happened. Roland looked between the adults and Henry, pondering the right thing to do. Suddenly Roland's arm flew out with a finger pointing towards Henry as he declared,

"Henry stole a chip off my plate." Henry's eyes went wide from the betrayal.

"Roland." Henry gritted under his breath.

"Henry, why would you take food off your brother's plate?" Henry stood still. "Henry, I asked you a question."

"Because you wouldn't let me have any, but you would let Roland," he mumbled.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite hear you. Speak up," Regina said tersely.

"I said I took a chip off Roland's plate because if _I_ asked for them you wouldn't give them to me, but I knew you would give them to him." Robin and Regina looked taken aback. It was a few moments before Regina found her voice.

"Did you send Roland into the kitchen to get chips?" Realization dawning on her features. Henry shook his head yes. "Oh Henry," she said as she walked forward and pulled him into a tight embrace. They stood like that for a few minutes while Robin and Roland looked on. Roland was confused by the gesture. He thought for sure Henry would get into trouble and that he could munch on all the chips for all the trouble it took him to get the chips he didn't even want. Finally Regina pulled back from Henry, "Henry, I know you think it unfair, but I really prefer it if you and Roland didn't eat junk food and you know that."

"Yeah, but you still gave Roland chips," Henry surmised. Robin let out a chuckle from where he was standing.

"Well, Roland gave a pretty convincing story as to why he needed chips." Henry looked a bit confused and stood still, waiting for Robin to further explain.

"What could he have said to win you over? I make lots of convincing arguments and neither one of you buy them." Regina and Robin both laughed.

"Well, he concluded that if he said he was in the mood for them, we would give them to him."

"Huh?"

"You know, when mama says she's in the mood for something and daddy or me or you get it for her," Roland piped up. Henry let out a silent 'oh'.

"Yes."

"So, if I want chips all I have to say is 'I'm in the mood for chips.'?"

"Not exactly. We let Roland do it just this once. Junk food is still limited and will be regulated. Tonight however, we'll have chocolate ice cream for dessert. How does that sound?"

"Yay, we get ice cream!" Exclaimed Roland as he threw his hands in the air. Henry just stood with a puzzled look on his face.

"Why are we getting ice cream for dessert?"

"Well, Squishy may or may not want some."

"See? Even the unborn baby gets what it wants," complained Henry. All Regina could from popping Henry on his bottom was to throw her hands in the air. She wasn't looking forward to Henry's teenaged years if this was a preview of what was to come. Robin came to stand by her so he could try and talk to Henry.

"Henry, it appears this is a difficult concept for you to grasp, which I find rather disturbing because looking at your report card everything seems to point out that you're quite an intelligent lad. Your mother is pregnant."

"And an adult," she added, and then took over the conversation. "First and foremost, I am an adult. You are the child. Robin and I make the decisions and rules around here. I know you may think otherwise, but we were children once and had to follow our parents' rules. They set those rules and boundaries so we could grow up to be responsible adults. We are doing the same for you, Roland, and Squishy. We're not holy terrors. You have a roof over your head, food in your belly, electricity and luxury items such as video games, movies and comic books. Do you know how many children in the world don't even have a fraction of that? And you want to complain about not getting junk food whenever you want? I don't think so. Now you go upstairs to your room and sit and think about this little stunt you just pulled. You are old enough to know better and I had hoped you would set a good example for Roland and the baby. I was even going to let you babysit Roland and Neal tomorrow while I go shopping with Mary – Margaret because I thought you were responsible and mature enough to handle it. Now I'm not so sure. I just might have to find a baby sitter until Robin can get home in the evening."

Henry stood with his mouth agape, not sure he heard his mother correctly. He'd never had such a stern talking to from her before.

"I'm sorry, did you not hear me when I asked you to go to your room?" Regina reiterated. Henry backed up a couple of steps before turning around, running upstairs to his room and slamming the door shut. Everyone in the dining room jumped. Roland sat quietly in his chair. He wasn't sure what to make of everything that just happened. He hadn't meant to get Henry into so much trouble. And he certainly didn't want Henry to be mad at him.

"I'm sorry," Roland said quietly. Both adults turned to look at him.

"What did you say Roland?" Robin asked his young son.

"I said 'I'm sorry.'"

"What are you sorry for?"

"I didn't mean to get Henry in trouble. He's gonna be mad at me now. He won't let me in his room or read his comics or watch my movie," Roland's lower lip trembled. Robin stepped forward and grabbed Regina by the elbow to pull her into the kitchen so he could talk with her in private. They needed a united front. Robin hadn't expected Regina's outburst at Henry.

"Well this is quite a mess."

"All because you thought it was adorable that Roland was 'in the mood' for chips," Regina said, using air quotes. She walked over to her abandoned cutting board and started placing the vegetables into a big bowl so she could snack. Robin followed her around the counter.

"There wasn't any harm in letting him have some chips, Regina."

"Yes, well now Henry is upset because he couldn't have any."

"Those are your rules." Regina scoffed as she popped a slice of cucumber in her mouth. She chewed slowly as she considered how she wanted to handle Robin. He clearly also thought her rules were ridiculous. She finished chewing and swallowed. Her silence was killing Robin.

"Indeed they are. Henry had no problem following them before."

"Before? Before what? Me and my son moved in here with you and started building a life with you? Before creating life with you?" He added, motioning to her belly. She grasped her stomach lightly, shocked at Robin. "Regina, I love you but you and your rules would drive anyone batshit."

"I'm sorry?"

"Yeah, what kind of sane person denies their child junk food?"

"A person who cares whether or not her child lives to adulthood and doesn't develop health complications due to their diet, that's what kind."

"Come on Regina, some chips here and there isn't going to kill Henry. Look at Roland! He's healthy and happy! And I let him eat junk food now and then." Regina stared hard at Robin before popping a cherry tomato into her mouth. The juicy vegetable burst on her tongue. In the back of her mind she knew it wasn't going to kill Henry to have some chips, but there were rules set forth that he truly did not have a problem following until Robin and Roland moved in. She had to bend some of her rules to accommodate the small child. She wanted to treat both boys the same because she loved them just the same and didn't want either of them to feel she preferred one over the other. She didn't realize how hard it was to show each child equal attention and there was another on the way. She swallowed the tomato before pursing her lips together, contemplatively.

"I don't like to lose."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"I don't like to lose."

"What are you losing, exactly?"

"This argument, apparently." Robin laughed out loud. Was his wife admitting defeat? "It's not funny. I'm going to be in a bad mood for the rest of the evening, so you get used to that. Now, go take the boys and bring back my ice cream."

"I thought we were getting stuff for vegetable beef stew."

"That too, but the most important item is the ice cream. Chocolate ice cream. I'll even write it on the list," she said as she headed to the refrigerator to get a piece of paper from the pad they used to write grocery items on. Robin stared at her in awe that she actually admitted defeat. He walked up and grabbed her from behind, placing his head in the crook of her neck before giving her a gentle kiss. They stood like that while she jotted down everything she needed from the store. Once done, she turned in his harms and pushed the piece of paper on his chest. "Now hurry home, I'm going to finish off this salad and start on dinner. I don't think Squishy can wait much longer for the ice cream." Robin held onto the paper on his chest and pecked her lips before heading out to the store.

* * *

As always, please R&R!


	24. The Cool Kids

Hey guys, new chapter, enjoy!

* * *

It was nearing three thirty in the afternoon. Regina sat at her desk, noting the time. She had exactly ten minutes to finish her current editing and shut down her computer, gather her things and head home. She was due to meet Mary – Margaret at four o 'clock, no earlier, no later. Regina was stickler for rules and being punctual was probably her number one priority. She learned that from her mother. It made a good impression to be on time, not to arrive early because what if the people who were expecting you weren't quite ready five minutes before your scheduled time and what an inconvenience it would be to try and find something to do with you for five minutes. It was in bad form to arrive late as well because no one wants to be left waiting. Regina sighed at the memories and weird rules from her mother. Some of those rules translated to her parenting style with Henry, as she learned last night when she tried to implement her no junk food rule with Henry, but not with her step son Roland. She knew Robin was completely okay with her parenting Roland, but there were still some issues she wasn't quite sure where the boundaries were drawn. Junk food, she found, was one of them. Parenting was fly – by – your pants most of the time and she tried to insert some sort of order. Daniel often joked how he was the fun parent and she was the stick in the mud. She would whine that she just didn't want to screw anything up and he would gather in her in his arms and just hold her until she stopped crying. He would apologize and tell her he just wanted to make her smile and get her to let loose. Their toddler child wouldn't understand why mommy wouldn't let him have the French fries off daddy's plate. She'd respond with how she didn't want her child to die from heart disease like her father did and that if Daniel knew what was good for him he wouldn't eat those artery clogging fries either – and then she would steal a fry or two off his plate for herself. It was this silly little thing they did.

Regina cleared her throat and quickly wiped the tears that had formed in the corner of her eyes at the memory of Daniel. Her Daniel who was taken from her, but now she had Robin. She had Robin and Roland and Henry and the baby. The baby that was currently making its presence known, in more ways than one. Right now, the baby or her uterus, she wasn't sure which, was pressing heavily on her bladder. She unfortunately hadn't schedule a restroom break in her plans to be home precisely at four o'clock to meet Mary – Margaret. Nature calls, she supposed. It shouldn't take her that long to pee and be out the door. Regina left her things to hurry down the hall to the restroom. Sydney Glass was standing in the middle of the hallway talking to Mal and they both scooted to the side when they saw Regina heading towards the restroom.

"All aboard the 'Potty Train Express'!" Mal called out to Regina and cackled loudly. Regina swore under her breath and flipped them the bird. She had no time for games and this was one they played every single time she headed to the restroom since they found out she was pregnant. She had a hard time getting her pants down so she could sit on the toilet. Squatting left her a little off – balance. She sat down and reveled in the relief she felt once she emptied her bladder. She flushed the toilet and wriggled her pants back up. Who knew she had an ass and birthing hips? Where did they come from and would they go away after she gave birth? She quickly washed her hands and headed back down the hall to collect her things. It was three fifty in the afternoon. She was going to be late meeting Mary – Margaret and Regina was sure to never hear the end of it.

* * *

Mary – Margaret arrived promptly at 108 Miflin Street at four o'clock in the afternoon, no earlier, no later, toddler Neal in tow. She parked her car on the street and proceeded to gather the small child and his belongings. She made sure to grab his stuffed toy Nemo and zipped him back up in his winter jacket. Mary – Margaret hurried up the walk – way when she noticed there were no cars in the driveway. She slowed her approach.

"Aunt Mary! You're here!" cried out a voice. Mary – Margaret turned to the direction of the sound.

"Henry, Roland, hey!"

"Hey," Henry said again once he caught up to where Mary – Margaret was on the walk – way.

"Henry, is your mother here?"

"Um, I don't know. She usually is by the time we get home in the afternoon."

"Does she sometimes leave her car at work and walk home?" Henry shook his head no.

"No, if she walks home, she walks to pick us up from school and we walk to Granny's or go get ice cream and head to the park and then walk home so we can burn off all the sugar we ate. But she leaves her car here and meets us at school. She didn't meet us at school. Is something wrong?" By this time the small group reached the front door. Mary – Margaret paused while Henry took out the lanyard that held the key to the house and waited for him to open the door. "Mom? Mom?! Are you in here?" Henry called out to the empty house. He threw his bag down by the front door, making sure to take off his shoes and headed towards the kitchen where Regina would usually be, making after school snacks for Henry and Roland before they started on their homework. Henry walked back out to the den area where Mary – Margaret was settling Neal. The little boy grabbed the stuffed Nemo from her hands and tucked it under his arm and into his side, holding it tightly and then reached up with his other arm to take Mary – Margaret's hand in his. He led her over to the toy box Regina placed in the living room when Roland moved in. Neal liked the toy box as well. Mary – Margaret helped Neal sift through the toy – box while continuing to talk to Henry across the room.

"So, does that mean she is late?"

"What do you mean?" Henry questioned.

"She told me to meet her here at four o'clock in the afternoon, no sooner, no later," she responded with a wide grin. "I'm on time and your mother's not!" She shouted gleefully before pulling on Neal's other hand, causing him to drop Nemo and began to dance around in a circle with him. It was quite a sight to see and soon, both Henry and Roland were laughing at the spectacle. Poor little Neal had no idea what was going on and mostly stood still, looking slightly confused at his mother. Roland finally spoke up.

"Auntie Mare, can you make us a snack since mama isn't here?" Mary – Margaret stopped her mini – celebration.

"Of course I can, Roland. What would you like?"

"Um," Roland paused to consider his request. Regina usually made something healthy like apples and peanut butter, or bananas and peanut butter, or celery and peanut butter. Mary – Margaret would probably give him chips or goldfish crackers if he asked. "Goldfish crackers?" He finally asked, looking up at Mary – Margaret with a sly smile.

"Sure, let's go see if we can find them," she reached down to grab Roland's hand and took Neal's hand in her other hand and walked them to the kitchen, "coming Henry?" she paused momentarily to ask the pre – teen standing behind the sofa.

"Sure, I can't wait for mom to walk in on this. I'm gonna grab my cell phone so I can record this. You'll be a YouTube star!" At that, Mary – Margaret let out a hearty laugh. With Neal in her arms, one hand holding Roland's hand and Henry following behind the group arrived in Regina's immaculately kept kitchen.

"How on earth does she keep this kitchen so friggin' clean with two kids running around here?"

"Oh, mom is very big on chores, specifically us doing chores. Child labor! Aren't there laws against child labor?" Henry complained while Mary – Margaret set about looking through the various cabinets to find Goldfish crackers for Roland.

"Well yeah, but it's not hard labor. It's stuff you need to do around the house, parents are not your personal maids," she responded to Henry's complaint. Letting out an exhausted sigh, she turned to Henry, "Henry, where _are_ the Goldfish crackers? Do they even exist in your house? Roland, did you send me on a futile search?" Henry laughed a little bit while Roland stared up at Mary – Margaret with a confused look on his face.

"What does futile mean?" Mary – Margaret shook her head.

"It means pointless, Roland. I don't know why Roland asked for Goldfish crackers. They've been banned from the house," said Henry, responding to Mary – Margaret's question.

"Banned from the house?"

"Yeah, something about the artificial cheese flavoring smell and Squishy. Squishy's not even here and he's causing problems. There are lots of things we can't eat anymore cuz mom can't stand the smell," Henry huffed out as leaned over the counter.

"Well then, guess you'll have to pick something else to eat Roland."

"Um, how about chips?" Mary – Margaret looked pointedly at Roland.

"You want chips? Is that even allowed in your house?"

"Sometimes mama makes daddy get her chips. For Squishy. Boy, you're right Henry!"

"Right about what?"

"Squishy gets a lot of stuff and he's still inside mama's tummy." Mary – Margaret and Henry both laughed at Roland's realization.

"Alright, well Henry, since you live here, why don't you tell me where the chips are so I'm not wasting time looking through all the cabinets for chips."

"Looking for chips? In my house?" A voice called out. Everyone in the kitchen paused looking through the cabinets and slowly turned to the voice that startled them. There was Regina standing in the kitchen doorway looking none too pleased they were looking for chips in her house. "Really Mary – Margaret, this I would have expected from Miss Swan, who loves to defy my every move, but not you."

"Oh, Regina, I didn't know you were here. Roland was hungry and since you weren't here to give him his afternoon snack I figured I see what we could find."

"Uh huh, so you thought chips were a good idea?"

"Well, it's what Roland wanted," she replied sheepishly.

"Roland," Regina said, holding out the last syllable.

"Yes?" he said looking up at her.

"You know we don't eat chips in this house."

"I know, but I wanted Goldfish crackers but you said we can't have Goldfish crackers because Squishy doesn't like them. How do you know Squishy doesn't like Goldfish crackers? I love them! Did Squishy tell you he didn't like them? How did he tell you he didn't like them from inside your tummy and –" Regina pinched the bridge of her nose. She really hated it when Roland went on one of his rants, which was comprised of a series of questions.

"Roland, dear, honey, my little knight," Regina said placatingly as she stooped to his level and grasped his chin in her hands so she could look into his eyes. She paused for a moment to make sure he was truly paying attention to her. "It's not that Squishy doesn't like Goldfish crackers, it's because of Squishy that mommy can not tolerate Goldfish crackers."

"What do you mean? Tolerate?" Regina paused to consider the best way to explain to a five year old how pregnancy affected a woman from cravings, to aversions, body aches and frequent trips to the bathroom.

"Well dear, sometimes a smell upsets mama's tummy – my nose smells more efficiently. I can smell things that even you can't smell."

"Really?"

"Uh – huh. I know you miss Goldfish crackers, I miss them too! There are a lot of foods that I miss eating but I can't eat them right now because I don't want to be sick. You know what it feels like to be sick, right? It's not a good feeling, is it?" Roland shook his head no.

"Right, now how about I make you apples and peanut butter, you like that, right?" Roland shook his head yes.

"Uh – huh. It's my favorite."

"Well if it's your favorite why didn't you just ask me to make that for you?" Mary – Margaret spoke up.

"Because you don't make that when we're at your house. Only Goldfish crackers." Regina shot Mary – Margaret a death glare.

"Are you feeding my children unhealthy food behind my back?"

"What? No! I would never do that! I get the Goldfish crackers because they have no additives and food coloring. I'm not completely negligent, sheesh. And another thing," Mary – Margaret said, pointing to Regina and sending a wink Henry's way so he could take out his phone for recording purposes. "You are late." Regina pursed her lips as she stood back up and swiveled to face Mary – Margaret.

"What did you just say?"

"I, uh, I said, 'You are late.' I beat you here! I was on time and you were not!"

"Oh yippy, the highlight of your day is at the expense of an 18 week old fetus. Congrats."

"Huh?"

"I was late because I had to make an unscheduled potty break before I left work. And these tight – fitting pants are hard to get up and down over these birthing hips that magically appeared overnight. Precisely the reason you are here. Are you even ready to go?" Regina folded her arms across her chest and stared down hard at Mary – Margaret. Mary – Margaret shrunk back just a little, all the while very aware that Henry was recording this interaction so he could put it on YouTube and make her a YouTube star.

"Well, yes, let me get Neal settled, perhaps make everyone an afternoon snack? You're sure Robin will be here around six?" Regina nodded her head and rolled her eyes. How many times would she have to tell Mary – Margaret that Henry was a perfectly responsible young man who could handle watching Roland and Neal for a few hours, less than that because the two women were getting a late start.

"Yes, Mary – Margaret. Henry and Roland are responsible young men. I put all the ingredients in the crock pot this morning for your vegetable beef stew. Robin will be home around six which is his customary time. An afternoon snack should hold them over until then. They both know to work on their homework first, then they can move to the den where Henry likes to read and Roland likes to play with his Legos. We can turn on a movie for Neal to keep him entertained until their homework is completed," then she turned to address Henry and Roland. "I am allowing you to watch a movie on a school night, but I will choose the movie. Should I come home and discover a different movie, there will be no movie watching for two weeks. Do I make myself clear?" Both boys nodded their heads in unison. "Good, now off you go to start on your homework. It should take me no more than five minutes to make your snack, okay?"

"Yes ma'am," they responded in unison before heading off to the dining room table where they sat every afternoon when they came home from school to work on their homework. Regina approached the decorated bowl on the counter and pulled two apples from it, washed them and began slicing them on her bamboo cutting board that sat by the sink. She looked up from the cutting board to address Mary – Margaret once she finished.

"Does Neal like grapes?"

"Hmm?"

"I asked you if Neal liked grapes. I can peel them for him. Or would he prefer raisins?"

"Well, um, actually – I have Goldfish crackers." Regina rolled her eyes.

"Of course you do. Well, don't just stand there, take a paper towel and set him up in front the tv and put them on there. I'll run this plate of apples out to the boys, dash upstairs to put on something more comfortable and then we'll be on our way."

"The smell won't bother you?"

"It hasn't bothered me for a while now, but I'm not going to tell them that. They get enough junk food on the weekends when we have movie night and order pizza and donuts."

"You order pizza and donuts? I find that hard to believe," Mary – Margaret laughed out.

"Well I'm not a complete health nut. Everything in moderation. It gives everyone something to look forward to at the end of the week. Even Squishy likes it."

"Oh, I'm sure. I think you're using Squishy as a convenient excuse for everything that happens around here. What will you did when Squishy is out and about? Get pregnant again?" Regina's eyes went wide with horror.

"What do you take me for? A baby – making factory? Surely not!"

"Relax, Regina, I'm just kidding. The baby will be close enough to Roland's age it won't be lonely later."

"Lonely? What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, you know only children."

"Hmm, no I'm not sure what you mean by that, you forget about my older sister. I would love to have been an only child."

"Well not everyone had it as bad as you did. Anyway, I'm just saying it's nice for children to have someone their age to play with and relate to."

"Henry seemed to have been completely fine." Mary – Margaret let out a loud guffaw.

"Oh, my dear Regina, you make me to laugh."

"What are you on about?"

"You have no idea how you met Robin, do you?"

"My car was broken down at the gas station and Robin stopped to help."

"Yeah, sure, that's exactly what happened." Regina folded her arms and leaned against the counter.

"I think you'd better start explaining, dear. Right now, my patience is very thin these days."

"Oh, well um, you see, you know how Robin coaches soccer and he was the assistant coach on Henry's team?" Regina nodded, not wanting to interrupt Mary – Margaret who seemed a little flushed from nervousness. "Well, Roland may have been feeling a little lonely and one day at practice Henry entertained him for a little bit and then Roland may or may not have asked if Henry's mom could also be Roland's mom and Henry may or may not have agreed to launch Operation Hook Up," Mary – Margaret finished quietly. Regina's mouth dropped open.

"I'm sorry, I don't think I heard you quite right, you mumbled that last part. Operation Hook Up?"

"Yeah, look at how awesome it worked out! Husband, another son and a baby on the way!" Regina's mouth opened and closed but no sound could be heard. "Cat got your tongue?" Mary – Margaret teased. After a few more moments Regina finally found her voice.

"That little sneak! I'm going to kill Emma Swan."

"What? Why Emma?"

"She and Henry are always going on and on about Operation This and Operation That. She seems like she would know how to rig my car to break down conveniently and then dispatch Robin out to help." Mary – Margaret could see the heat rising in Regina's cheeks. She approached her friend and placed her hands on either side of her arms.

"Regina! Calm down, woman! You're getting excited and worked up and that's not good for the baby. Is it really so bad Henry and Roland wanted their parents to get together? Hasn't everything turned out wonderfully? Could you honestly say the result of their Operation Hook Up brought you unhappiness?" Regina seemed to relax a little. "That's it, take deep calming breaths." Regina seemed to visibly calm as Mary – Margaret rubbed her hands up and down Regina's arms to comfort her. It was always supposed to be a secret how exactly it was Robin who came to Regina's rescue, an effort on all their parts, really and truly, a big risk they all took, but they knew it would be worth it. "Are you feeling better now?" Regina shook her head. "Alright, I am going to take these snacks to the boys and set Neal up while you go and change. We'll head out and get you some fancy schmancy maternity clothes!" Regina shot Mary – Margaret a death glare and reluctantly trudged off through the door that led to the dining room to head upstairs.

* * *

Fifteen minutes passed since Regina went upstairs. Mary – Margaret was playing in the floor with Neal. Roland was busy perusing their movie collection to find a movie suitable for viewing. He knew Neal liked Finding Nemo. Roland liked Robin Hood. Roland also liked his Jungle Book movie. He was so torn.

"Did you find a movie, Roland?"

"Well, I thought we could watch my Jungle Book movie, but Neal might be scared."

"Hmm, that is true, what are some other movies we could watch?"

"Maybe Lion King?" Mary – Margaret pursed her lips, trying to remember if there was anything in the movie that might frighten her young son. Then again he might be perfectly entertained with his stuffed Nemo and the oversized LEGO blocks he pulled out of the toy box.

"Okay, that sounds good. Do you know how to put the movie in and get it started?" Roland nodded his head enthusiastically. "Good, why don't you get everything set up okay? I'm going to go check on your mom and see what's taking her so long, okay?"

"Okay Aunt Mare." Mary – Margaret nodded her head in agreement, stood up and headed up the stairs that led to the master bedroom. The door was slightly ajar. Mary – Margaret lightly knocked to announce herself.

"Regina? You doin' okay in here? It's taking you an awfully long time to come back downstairs." No response. Mary – Margaret pushed to door open and found Regina standing in front of the full – length mirror in the corner of her bedroom. She had on a sports bra and a pair of yoga pants. She was softly caressing her belly, holding it at the base, she stood facing the mirror and soon turned slightly to the side. Mary – Margaret stepped in slowly and cleared her throat. "Ahem, Regina? You almost ready to go in here? I could probably put Neal down for a nap if you want to take a few more minutes." Mary – Margaret could see Regina smiling in the mirror as she walked up to her. Eventually, Mary – Margaret reached her side.

"Sorry, we've been anxious to feel Squishy kick. Sometimes I swear I can feel the sensations, but I'm never quite sure. I haven't fully appreciated this. I mean, I focus on the fact that there's all this food I can't eat because it makes me sick to my stomach and all the food I crave that's not anywhere near the remote possibility of healthy. And the weight gain and how much my body has changed and continues to change. I haven't had the chance to admire the beauty of it all. I must admit when you mentioned having another child so this one can have someone to play with, it kind of scared me a little."

"Oh, I didn't mean to, I mean, Neal is much closer in age to Squishy, I'm sure they'll be the best of friends, just like you and I," Mary – Margaret let out a little chuckle. Regina just looked her pointedly before turning back to face the mirror again.

"Will you grab Robin's sweatshirt from the bed over there?"

"Yeah, sure. You don't have any shirts that fit?"

"Well, you know me, everything tailored to fit my body type. My body type that isn't eighteen weeks pregnant. I'm sure there's a sweater I could wear, but I'm really bumming it out with these yoga pants anyway, might as well complete the outfit, right?" Mary – Margaret shook her head in agreement. "Well then, let's get a move on, shall we?"

"Yeah, and hey, listen, Regina about earlier – "

"It's okay. Was Henry really that miserable? That he would set me up with a complete stranger? You talk to him, and Emma. He shares things with you guys that he wouldn't share with me." Mary – Margaret handed Regina the sweatshirt and waited for her to pull it over her head before continuing their discussion.

"Well, yes he does share with me and Emma, but that's because you're his mom. He's torn between being a son and being your protector. Finding you a husband was kind of like his last act of protection and he picked a great guy and got himself a younger brother to boot! He just wanted you to be happy – the kind of happy that adults need, that they can get from other adults, not kids."

"Oh, he's so grown up. I wish Daniel could see." Regina's eyes filled with tears. This time Mary – Margaret gathered her in her arms and let Regina sink into her embrace, holding on tightly. They stood that way for a few moments before another knock at the door drew their attention. The two women withdrew their arms from each other.

"Are you okay mama?" Little Roland called from the door. Regina stooped and opened her arms to welcome Roland into a hug. He hesitated a little. Regina motioned with her hand that it was okay and to come give her a hug. He took off running and slammed into her before quickly pulling back, afraid he hurt her. Regina smiled and reached forward, hugging him tightly and picking him up, swung him onto her hip. She planted a kiss on his forehead.

"Mama's just fine."

"But you were crying."

"Oh those were happy tears."

"Happy tears?"

"Mmm hmm, you can cry when you're happy too."

"What are you happy about?"

"I'm happy that I have you, your dad, Henry and Squishy in my life. I couldn't be more happier that you're here in my life." Roland reached his pudgy arms around Regina's neck to pull her into another hug.

"I'm happy you're my mama."

"I'm glad I'm your mama too. Now, what's say we head downstairs? Hmm? What movie did you pick?"

"I pickeded the Lion King."

"That sounds like an excellent choice. Will you be a good boy for Henry? Help keep Neal entertained until your father gets home? He shouldn't be long now."

"Uh – huh," Roland said, shaking his head. The trio went downstairs. Regina put Roland down next to Neal in the living room where the toddler was thoroughly entranced in the song "I Just Can't Wait to be King". He was bouncing lightly on his feet mumbling along with the melody. Regina laughed to herself, thinking how she couldn't wait for Squishy to be that age and be just entranced with the magic of animation like Neal. She headed to the dining room table where Henry was still seated, working on his homework.

"Alright Henry, Roland and Neal are set up in the living room with the Lion King. Please keep an ear out. Robin should be here in about an hour. I have turned on the crock pot to low. If you get hungry before Robin gets home to help you it should be done enough for you to serve yourself and Roland. Please only feed Neal whatever snacks are provided in his bag. Robin can feed him the vegetable beef stew. Any questions?" Henry shook his head no. "Good, now come give me a hug and say a prayer for Mary – Margaret." Henry laughed and gave his mom a hug.

"Good luck Aunt Mare," he called over Regina's shoulder.

"Thanks kid, pretty sure I'll need it." Regina stood up and both she and Mary – Margaret headed out the front door.

* * *

The ride to the mall wasn't a very long one and Mary – Margaret and Regina mostly sat in silence, listening to the radio. Regina closed her eyes to rest for a moment. She told Mary – Margaret she needed to conserve her energy to get through the all the shopping Mary – Margaret was dragging her through. Mary – Margaret wanted to discuss their plan of action to maximize time so the boys weren't left alone for very long and it surprised her that Regina, who likes to keep to a schedule, was very lax about their afternoon. Pregnancy seemed to agree with her on that part at least. Now if only letting up on things her life would last after the pregnancy; Mary – Margaret would be really impressed with that.

Mary – Margaret pulled her car into the parking lot at the mall, parked and shut off the engine. Light snores could be heard from the passenger seat. Mary – Margaret shook her head and called out softly to Regina, not wanting to startle her awake. The poor woman just kept on snoring away. Mary – Margaret shook Regina lightly. Regina moved a little, slapped Mary – Margaret's hand away and readjusted herself in the seat. It appeared subtly was not on her side. Mary – Margaret leaned in close to Regina's ear.

"Regina!" She called firmly. Regina snorted and sat up straight in the seat. After a few seconds she seemed to get her bearings, finally turning a cold stare at Mary – Margaret.

"Mary – Margaret, what the hell is wrong with you?"

"What the hell is wrong with me? Nothing. You're the one that wouldn't wake up."

"What?"

"Yeah, I tried calling your name, shaking you, nothing."

"Oh, well, sorry. It's hard for me to gage how much sleep I require now. Squishy is sucking the life out of me."

"I hear ya, it sucks big time. Well, now you're awake and we can get started. Where do you want to go first? The maternity store or the department store so you can continue to look like a hard ass instead of a nice gentle mother?" Regina pursed her lips and eyed Mary – Margaret.

"Let's get the maternity store out of the way. I can control how much time we spend in there easier if we go there first."

"Control how much time?" Mary – Margaret echoed.

"Yes. One hour. For each store. We do have families to get back to and apparently I need more sleep." Mary – Margaret slowly nodded her head in agreement. It was already five o 'clock. At this rate they would be lucky to get back to Regina's around seven thirty, have dinner and then be off to her own loft apartment, putting Neal down past his usual bed time. Both women exited the car and headed to the food court entrance of the mall.

"Oh, this is just plain criminal."

"What?"

"Taking a pregnant woman through the food court. How am I supposed to say no to this stuff?"

"Um, you say 'no'. My goodness Regina, you usually have such self – control."

"It's not me! It's the baby. Squishy has taken over my body and there's nothing I can do about it. Now we have to make a stop by the pretzel place."

"The pretzel place?"

"Yes, I want pretzel bites and cheese sauce."

"Artificially flavored cheese sauce?"

"Yes, Squishy has a penchant for artificially flavored cheese items."

"But I thought the smell made you sick."

"I told you I got over that already. Now quit dawdling and let's go get my pretzel bites." Mary – Margaret rolled her eyes and headed after Regina who seemed to be able to move remarkably well with her pregnant belly. If Mary – Margaret recalled correctly she was already waddling at eighteen weeks. They made it over to the pretzel stand where Regina also ordered a strawberry freeze because it was Winter and thusly the mall had the heat turned up, which did nothing to help with all the extra blood pumping through her body. She needed the freeze to cool her down since she didn't think she could convince mall security to adjust the temperature. She tried that once before when she was Christmas shopping. They even threatened to escort her out the mall. Robin had to explain to them she was pregnant and the hormones were making her crazy. She punched him the arm for the remark and stormed off. The security guards gave Robin the most pitiful look she ever saw, which made her even more ticked off. That's how she'd gotten that gold tennis bracelet that now adorned her wrist. Sometimes jewelry did make everything better.

Once they had their snacks in hand, Mary – Margaret led the way to the maternity store. They entered the store and Mary – Margaret pulled Regina over to the pants suit section because she knew that's what Regina would probably want to wear.

"I'm not exactly sure how long you'll be able to wear pants suits comfortably. I preferred dresses myself."

"Yes, we know. Mu mus." Mary – Margaret rolled her eyes and started pulling pants suits from the racks and handed them to Regina.

"Here, take these. We'll find a style you like and we can get two, one for now and one for when you're further along."

"How rude."

"Regina, you do know you're growing a tiny human, right? You're going to get bigger and you're going to need bigger clothes. Gosh, why does this sound familiar? Oh, I know! This sounds an awful lot like the speech you gave me!"

"Well – " Regina truly had no response for that.

"Uh – huh, you can't say anything because you know you're being ridiculous. Now, hand me your food and go try these on. You said one hour in this store and there's so much to look at!"

"Fine, but you better not eat my pretzels or drink my freeze. I will destroy you, if it is the last thing I do," Regina threatened as she handed off her food items and took the suits from Mary – Margaret's arms. This was going to be the longest two hours of her life, not counting labor, and she was already starting to regret to agreeing to this shopping trip.

True to form, Regina only allowed them to spend one hour in the maternity store. She even let Mary – Margaret convince her to buy some stylish dresses that were not mu mus. Regina excitedly walked to the department store at the other end of the mall, eager to try on pants suits and skirt suits that were more her style. They ended up staying in that store for an hour and a half. Regina only stopped trying on clothes and more comfortable heels because Squishy was hungry. Much to Mary – Margaret's dismay Regina decided the only way to appease Squishy was to eat at the mall food court. Nevermind that Mary – Margaret was also hungry and very much looking forward to Regina's crockpot vegetable beef stew.

* * *

Robin arrived at the home he shared with Regina and Henry at six twenty in the evening. He tried his best to get home at six o'clock but he couldn't quite finish up with his paperwork on time. He entered the house to find all three boys seated at the table eating vegetable beef stew. At least he wouldn't have to worry about feeding the kids. He was a little concerned that Regina wasn't home. Even though it was expected he would take care of the boys while they were out, she did tell him they would probably only be gone for two hours. If the women left at four o'clock then they should have been back by now.

"Evenin' boys. How's it going?"

"Daddy!" Roland screeched, hopping out of his chair and running to envelope Robin in a hug. "I missed you!'

"Oh you did, did you?"

"Uh – huh. I haven't seen you all day!"

"Roland, you saw him this morning when he dropped us off at school." Henry called from the table as he spooned another bite of soup into his mouth. Robin released Roland and approached the dining room table.

"You guys already started in on dinner?"

"Uh – huh. Mom said to let you feed Neal."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, we wouldn't be able to resuscitate him if he choked on something or other."

"I see. Alright then, I'll go grab us a bowl and be right back. Did you boys finish your homework?"

"Yeah, mom made us start on it when we got home. We've been watching Lion King to keep Neal entertained though."

"I see, welp if you promise not to tell your mother, you can go pick out another movie while I feed Neal since you've done such a great job baby-sitting. How does that sound?"

"That sounds great!" Henry said as he began shoveling the last spoonfulls of stew into his mouth. Poor little Roland tried to keep up with him and ended up spilling a little bit onto the table. Robin simply shook his head and shooed the boy away so he could join Henry in the living room. He went to the kitchen and spooned up two bowls of vegetable beef stew. It was warm and hearty and just perfect for a mild winter evening such as this one. He opened the bag of dinner rolls on the counter and popped two in the microwave to warm them up slightly. Regina may limit her carbohydrate intake, but not Robin. He loved carbs, he loved them so very much. He even had a secret stash of carb – filled snacks that he kept hidden in his man – cave downstairs. Well, it was the sitting room, but with the baby it was going to be Regina's new office. He was trying to think of ways to convince her they could share the space. It might be a touchy subject right now and he was still trying to figure out what would and would not piss his wife off. He knew food items was something he should avoid. And the temperature in the house. And how many blankets could be on the bed. And when it was a good time for couple stuff. So far he had more items on his "Do Not Bother Regina About This" than his "Safe Regina Subjects" list.

The microwave beeped, signaling the rolls were properly heated. He grabbed them from the microwave, placed them on a separate plate and balanced the two bowls of vegetable stew and took them back out to the dining room. Neal was happily slapping the snacks on his tray around. Squishing soggy Goldfish crackers in his hand and squealing. Robin placed the bowls on the table and sat down. He spooned himself a couple of mouthfuls before picking out a few pieces of now – softened carrots and peas to place on Neal's tray. Neal looked at the pieces quizzically before picking them up and placing him is mouth and chewing. Robin ate more bites from his dish before tearing off a piece of his dinner roll and giving Neal a small piece. The toddler took it from his hands, gave it a little squeeze and dropped it over the side of his chair.

"Alright, no more rolls for you. This is precious food here and you're wasting it. Auntie Regina doesn't let us have this very often. You'll learn one day. Hey boys!" He called out towards the living room area.

"Yeah!" They called back in unison.

"Have you picked out a movie yet?"

"Yes!"

"Alright, well get that set up and then come clear the table, okay?" It was a few moments before both boys reluctantly returned to the table. "Aww, come on. You know she's gonna ask when she gets back, especially if you're watching a movie on a school night. It's kind of hard for her to be so fussy about the movie if you've already completed your homework and cleared off the dinner table, right?" Both boys nodded their heads and picked up their bowls and went into the kitchen. Henry returned with a wet rag to wipe down the table, leaving Roland in the kitchen to rinse the bowls and place them in the dishwasher. Henry disappeared back in the kitchen with the rack and Henry and Roland returned a few minutes later.

"Alright, the dishwasher is loaded but we didn't start it. Now can we go watch the movie?"

"Not so fast, what movie did you pick?"

"Um, we picked 'The Jungle Book'," Henry replied, hesitating to try and think of an appropriate movie title. In reality they both decided on Jurassic Park, even though it gave Roland nightmares. Henry explicitly told Roland if he gets scared that night to just come into Henry's room instead of the parents. They would get mad. Robin nodded his head and sent them on their way.

"Well, looks like it's just us now, doesn't it? Are you done eating?" Neal just gave Robin a toothy grin in response. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Yes!" Neal repeated after Robin. Robin stood up and picked as much food debris from the tray as he could and took everything back into the kitchen. He returned with the dish rag Henry used earlier. He set it on the table so he could take Neal out of the high chair. He set the toddler on the floor and proceeded to wipe down the food tray and the rest of the dining room table. Robin pulled the high chair back into the kitchen and made sure all the dishes were in the dishwasher and that there was enough vegetable stew left for Regina and Mary – Margaret when they returned from their shopping trip. Neal was still standing near the dining room table when Robin returned.

"Eww, what is that smell? Neal, do you need your diaper changed?" The toddler let out a giggle.

"Potty!" He yelled.

"Yeah, it might a little late for that. Let's go find your diaper bag and get you cleaned up, shall we?" Robin swung the boy onto his hip and walked into the living room looking for the diaper bag. However, what he saw was a dinosaur walking across the tv screen.

"Boyyyys." Henry and Roland's heads snapped around so fast Robin barely had time to put on his best Regina scowl face. "This doesn't look like 'The Jungle Book'. In fact it looks like Jurassic Park. A movie that Roland is not allowed to watch because it gives him night mares. Your mom hasn't exactly been sleeping well at night, she doesn't need you disturbing her because you had nightmares, Ro."

"It's okay Robin, I told him he could come into my room. Please let us watch it!"

"Yeah, I'll go to Henry's room! Please, please, please!" Roland echoed Henry's pleas, accompanied by folding his hands under his chin, smiling widely and blinking his eyes rapidly. What a charmer.

"Alright, fine, but if your mom walks in on you, I will deny that I knew you were watching it. I'm not getting dragged into that argument. I'm going to change Neal and then I'm going upstairs with him to work on the nursery some, okay? Try to be civil to each other." Henry and Roland nodded their heads in unison and returned their attention to the tv. Robin picked up Neal's diaper bag and headed to the master bedroom to change him.

"Sheesh, you definitely need to start potty training. This looks like something even I would poop out," Robin commented as he went about cleaning up Neal. Robin redressed the toddler and took the dirty diaper back down the stairs and tossed in the kitchen trashcan. Robin would take the trash out later. He stopped back by the living room to check on the boys and headed back upstairs to the nursery. He had finally gotten the room painted and now wanted to unpack the crib. However, he thought better of that because of the potential choking hazard the screws might cause. Robin settled on positioning the rocking chair and ottoman. He noticed Neal rubbing his eyes. Robin figure it was probably nearing the toddler's bedtime. Robin picked the boy up and walked over to the bookcase that stood on a wall in Regina's former office. It was a nice piece of wood; she selected it specifically to go with her office suite. She did still hadn't decided if she wanted to keep it in the nursery or move it somewhere else. Her office suite downstairs had bookshelves on the walls. She didn't really need it downstairs. Robin skimmed the small amount of child appropriate books and selected the copy of 'The Teddy Bear's Picnic' Regina had gotten for him to surprise him with the news of her pregnancy. He knew it held sentimental memories for her. He took the book and brought it with him to sit with Neal in the rocking chair.

* * *

Mary – Margaret and Regina finally arrived home at seven forty – two in the evening. After eating in the food court Regina was finally ready to come home. Mary - Margaret was just as hungry, but she was holding out for Regina's vegetable beef stew. She had been salivating over it all day. Mary - Margaret helped Regina carry all the bags inside her house and set them down by the front door. There was a low hum coming from the living room area as she and Regina walked up the stairs into the foyer. Regina peaked around the corner to see Henry and Roland engrossed with whatever movie they had playing. A movie that did not look like The Lion King.

"Boys, this does not look like the agreed upon movie. In fact it looks like a movie that Roland isn't allowed to watch. Where are Robin and Neal?"

"Oh, heyyyyy ma. Robin took Neal upstairs to change his diaper. Roland promises not to be scared, right Ro?" Roland shook his head in agreement. Regina considered the two boys for a moment.

"Oh, come on Regina, it's not gonna hurt just this once, is it?" Mary - Margaret chimed in.

"You remember this situation when Neal is older and comes barging into your room when you're having alone time with David complaining of a nightmare."

"Roland's going to come to my room so he doesn't disturb you or Robin, right Ro?" Again Roland shook his head in agreement.

"Okay, but if Roland comes into our room you both shall be in big trouble, do I make myself clear?" Both Henry and Roland nodded their heads in agreement.

"Is there any stew left? I am starving." Mary - Margaret asked as she glanced around the living room.

"Should be, Robin was cleaning up I think, but I don't think we ate it all." Henry replied as he and Roland returned their attention back to the tv. Mary - Margaret ventured towards the kitchen while Regina headed upstairs to check on Robin and Neal. She actually wasn't quite sure where they might be. She headed down the hall once she reached the top of the stairs towards the master bedroom. There was no sign of Robin or Neal. The only other place they would be, she decided, was the in - progress nursery. Light spilled forth from a crack in the door. She paused outside but couldn't hear anything. She knocked softly. No response. She pushed open the door and smiled at the scene that greeted her. Seated in the rocking chair were Robin and Neal. The toddler curled on Robin's lap with Robin's head resting lightly on top of his head. The 'Teddy Bear's Picnic' book resting comfortably on top of Neal's small body while Robin lightly stroked the boy's back.

"Hey," she called out. "We're back." Robin looked up at his wife as she approached them.

"Hey. He seemed sleepy so I was trying to relax him." Regina was now beside them. She leaned forward to push hair behind Neal's ear and lightly rubbed his back.

"Oh, I remember when Daniel used to do this very routine with Henry."

"I hope you don't mind my reading the book to him. I know it was kind of a thing with Daniel and Henry, but I thought there might be something to it." Regina chuckled quietly so as not to disturb the sleepy toddler and planted a kiss on Robin's cheek.

"Mare's downstairs eating. I'm sure we can stay up here and enjoy this a little while longer."

"Tell me."

"Tell you what?" She asked as she continued to stroke Neal's back.

"Tell me what other things you and Daniel would do with Henry."

"Oh, um, hmm. It almost seems forever ago. I don't really think about them. It's not until I see you doing some of the same things he used to do that I'm reminded of all those years ago."

"Does it make you sad at all? That right here, right now, it isn't you and Daniel doing this for your second child?" Regina shook her head no.

"Mmmm - mmm, it makes me miss him sometimes, but it makes me love you all the more. You're not a replacement Daniel. I know Daniel was a good person and knowing that you share some of the same qualities, only different, let's me know that I chose yet another good person to have in my life. I chose a good person to be a father to Henry and a father to my unborn child. I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm glad Emma rigged my car to break down and you came to my rescue." Robin's eyes went wide. "What?" Regina asked, her eyebrows raising in surprise. "Didn't think I'd find out about that, did you?"

"Well, truth be told I didn't know about it until my bachelor party. I'm happy she and Henry got one of their 'Operations' right."

"Hmmmm, yes, one their half - brained operations went right." Regina found herself seated on the ottoman in front of Robin, resting her head on Robin's leg that wasn't occupied by Neal. She was exhausted from her shopping trip. Robin placed the book down on the floor and began rubbing the back of Regina's head. It felt like heaven to her. A few more minutes passed before Robin, Regina and even little Neal were fast asleep. This is how Mary - Margaret found them after she had her fill of vegetable beef stew. Mary - Margaret couldn't resist taking a picture of the three of them. She thought what a sweet scene this would be when their own little bundle of joy would soon join them.

* * *

There ya have it...another chapter. R&R


	25. And They Called It Magic

I have a great many excuses from being out of the country, getting food poisoning upon my return and the B button on my keyboard not working, but why bore you with that? On to the story!

* * *

She was having a rather pleasant dream, something about swimming in a sea of warmed blankets that were magically soothing away her aches and pains. She was weightless and in Heaven, she was sure, for nothing on Earth could be so divine. Suddenly there was a loud crashing sound. She wasn't sure where it was coming from, but it frightened her so much that her pleasant dream turned into a distressing night mare. She was drowning, pulled down by the weight of blankets now tangled at her feet. She reached out with her arms, flailing, trying to grasp onto Robin, but all she could feel was nothingness. Her heart ached for the touch of her husband, her friend, her lover. He was gone, ripped from her and she wasn't sure how. She sat up with a start, breathing heavily, and sweat upon her brow. It took her a few moments and calming deep breaths to register her surroundings. She swallowed thickly, her throat parched from the heat in the bedroom and the blankets she cocooned herself in the night before. She shifted her weight to try for a more comfortable position and noted the dampness on her pillow as she tried to adjust it behind her back. Once seated, she was finally able to take note of her surroundings. She was indeed in her bedroom and she supposed, technically she had been swimming in a deep sea of blankets and Robin really wasn't there. She turned her head to the direction of the bathroom to see if she could make out a light from underneath the door, that perhaps he left their marital bed to go to the bathroom. There was no light, there was no noise. She thought back to her dream and what exactly disturbed her so much. The tendrils of sleep were quickly dissipating as she struggled to remember. A sound, a crashing sound, she thought she recalled. Her eyes widened with horror. What if that crashing sound was one of the boys and they were in danger? What a terrible mother she was to not have properly heard and recognized her family was in danger. She quickly threw the covers off her body and stumbled out of bed. Throwing on her house coat she raced from the bedroom towards Roland's room. She flung the door open and called out his name. He did not respond. She approached the bed to feel around for his small body. There was nothing there. She pulled back his covers and felt around for a bit. That worried her slightly. She quickly walked from Roland's room down to Henry's room. She knocked softly on the door before pushing it open, not waiting for a response. There was a lump in the middle of the bed. Again, she called out, this time to Henry. She got no response. She approached the bed and felt around for Henry. She sighed out loud and pursed her lips. Robin was gone, Roland was gone and now Henry. Was she still dreaming? Had some unknown force come to claim the men in her life, leaving her alone once again?

She heard noises, more clanging noises coming from downstairs. Were there intruders? She grabbed Henry's neglected baseball bat from behind the door and made way for the stairs. She slowly crept down the stairs towards the sounds, which sounded like they were coming from the kitchen. Were there hungry intruders? Perhaps she would cook for them and they would be satisfied enough to tell her what they did to her family and leave her alone. She reached the bottom of the stairs and slowly raised the baseball bat over her head, hoping to catch the intruders unaware. She quickly stepped around the corner, squinted her eyes shut and yelled.

Robin, Henry and Roland looked somewhat bewildered at the display unfolding before their eyes. Here was their wife and mother waving a bat around yelling, like a madwoman. After a few moments Regina opened her eyes to the scene before her. All of her men safe and sound, gathered around the kitchen table putting together breakfast. The bat clattered to her side and she grasped at her chest, now aware of the adrenaline pumping through her body. A few moments of silence passed. Robin was the first to speak.

"Regina! Are you mad, woman?"

"Am I? Am I mad?" She managed to gasp out, still trying to catch her breath.

"Uh – oh." Robin shot Henry a warning glance. "I told you Robin! I told you your clanging about in here would wake her up!"

"Regina dear, what are you doing?" He asked as he reached out to take the bat from her hand and direct her towards the kitchen table. He sat her down and went to get her a glass of water.

"I was dreaming and then I heard a loud crash or something. It scared me. You weren't there in the bed with me. I went to check on Roland and Henry and they weren't in bed either. I heard noises coming from downstairs."

"And so you decided to attack us?"

"How was I supposed to know it was you?" She yelled.

"Well who else would be in the kitchen?"

"I don't know, someone that might wish our family harm? Someone who kidnapped the people I love and took them away from me?" Robin came to kneel in front of his wife. He grasped her hands in his and rubbed them, soothingly. After a few moments she pulled her hands from his grasp. She situated herself so she was facing the table and could rest her elbows on top. She dropped her head into her hands and massaged her temples. Robin stood up behind her and continued rubbing soothing circles on her back. Roland climbed down from his chair and stood next to her, mimicking his father's ministrations. He worked his way to her side and tried to peer up at her face.

"Are you crying mama? Don't be sad. Daddy said you needed sleep and we could make breakfast together. Do you want some?"

Regina lifted her head from her hands and wiped at her eyes. She managed to croak out a strangled, "You made breakfast?" She turned away from Roland's face to survey the spread on the kitchen table. "Ah, so you did. What's the special occasion?"

"Nothing, we couldn't decide what all we wanted." Henry responded.

"We weren't quite sure what you might feel like eating today. It's always a wild card nowadays." Robin soothed out. Regina nodded her head and glanced around the offerings on the table. Her stomach let out a low rumble and she placed her hands around her stomach to rub soothing circles. It was a habit she developed recently to cope with the strange sensations she felt from time to time. "Is the baby moving yet?" Robin asked has he reached his hands out towards Regina's belly. She shook her head no.

"Sorry dear, I'm afraid it's just hunger pains. When can we eat? Squishy and I worked up an appetite trying to defend you all from intruders." Robin backed off and laughed at his wife, reaching for the plates sitting on the bar and began passing them around to everyone.

It didn't take long for them to clear off the breakfast spread and Robin declaring it time for the boys to head off to school. Regina sighed as she sat back in the chair. She picked at the remaining bits of food on her plate before standing up to collect the dishes. She glanced at the calendar on the wall and made note of the day. Of the date. It was her birthday and neither of her boys wished her happy birthday. Or her husband. Strange, she thought as she rinsed off the dishes and placed them in the dishwasher. She headed back upstairs to get ready for work. Her birthday hasn't gotten off to a good start at all. First she tried to rescue her family from would be intruders and they showed no gratification for her heroic feats and then she had to clean up breakfast, which wasn't even her birthday breakfast. To say she was annoyed at it all was an understatement. The more she thought about it, the more her mood shifted. A warm shower could do nothing to wash off the bad vibes that descended on her. Her favorite scented lotion did nothing to quell the anger welling inside. By the time Robin returned to the house she was downright pissed. She slipped on her shoes and headed down the stairs. She schooled her features with indifference, hoping Robin would remember to wish her happy birthday before she left for work. Her feet hit the last landing and Robin was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps he was back in the kitchen.

"Oh, hey Regina. You forgot to grab the dishes off the stove and put them in the dishwasher. Don't worry, I got them for you. Are you 'bout ready to head out? Don't forget to get the boys after school. David and I are gonna head to the YMCA after work for a few rounds of racquetball. I'll see ya home for dinner, kay?" Robin walked to his wife and kissed her cheek. Regina stood there, unmoving, with her mouth agape. It took a few moments, but her jaw worked its way to opening and shutting in disbelief. Her husband really had forgotten her birthday and even scheduled a racquetball session with David. Home for dinner? She hopes he likes air because that's what she would serve him, a big heaping plate of air. Robin continued on into the den and turned on the tv. He still had some time before his shift started. Regina, on the other hand, only had five minutes before she needed to leave the house. She needed those extra five minutes to compose herself. Orange jumpsuits weren't exactly maternity wear. She didn't want to kill her husband for this transgression. She wanted to make him suffer.

"Yes, sweetheart. I'll see you home for dinner. Enjoy your day." Robin tossed a wave at his wife as she exited the front door. Regina made her way to the car and sat for a few moments, collecting herself before driving off to the publishing house.

Regina calmed herself somewhat by the time she reached the parking lot. She grabbed her briefcase and made her way towards the building. Sidney Glass was also making his way towards the entrance. She slowed her pace, for she was moving rather well with her bump, to allow him to catch up to her. The man annoyed her from time to time, but he would never forget her birthday. He always ordered her flowers and chocolate. It was the one day a year she was nice to him. He caught up to her and matched her pace, stride for stride. She glanced down at his hands and noticed the only items he carried were his thermos of coffee and briefcase. She scoffed.

"Morning Regina, how's it going?"

"Good morning Sidney. It's going alright. Whatcha got there?" She indicated with her head as they approached the entrance to the publishing house. She was the one with a free hand, so she opened the door for them.

"Oh nothing, just my coffee like always! Seeya upstairs? Wouldn't want to break your routine of stopping by the restroom."

"Shut up Sidney. I can wait until we're upstairs. So that's it? Just coffee?"

"Well, I'd offer you some, but you can't drink any," he responded with a shrug of his shoulders. They reached the elevators and Sidney allowed Regina to pass through first.

"So, what are you working on today?"

"Oh, nothing too terribly interesting."

"Really? I thought you were still working on that romance novel account, what was it again?"

"Um, I don't recall, but yeah, we're working on book three of the series."

"Oh come on Regina, I know you remember it. You were downright pissed when Gold assigned you the account. If I recall, you had your secretary print out a banner of the series' title and string across your wall on top of a cork board so you could throw darts at it."

Regina's jaw went slack for a few moments. "No one was supposed to know about that Sidney." The elevator bell dinged to let them know they reached their floor. They exited the elevator. Sidney followed Regina until they reached her office where he bid her a good day at work. She flicked on the lights and placed her briefcase on her desk. A few moments later her secretary popped in the doorway.

"Hey Miss Mills, got your schedule for today. You have a ten o'clock conference call, lunch with the representatives of Harper – Collins and a four o' clock with Mr. Gold." Regina let out an audible sigh.

"Who scheduled this four o'clock? I have to pick up the boys since my darling husband scheduled himself a racquetball session."

"I'm sorry. Mr. Gold told me about it this morning." Regina waved her hands.

"That's alright, it's not your fault. I'll see if I can get Mary – Margaret to watch them instead. Some day this is turning out to be." Regina commented as she popped open her briefcase to remove its contents.

"Pardon me ma'am?"

"Oh, nothing. I haven't had a great start out to this day and it doesn't seem to be getting any better."

"Oh, okay. Um, Mr. Glass wanted me to remind you what today is." Regina let out a sly smile, so he hadn't forgotten.

"Of course I remember what today is."

"Great, I'll let him know! Would you like me to take it now and set it in the conference room?"

"Take what? What are you talking about?"

"Um, you were supposed to get the cake."

"What cake?"

"You know, the cake for welcoming our new employee." Regina's eyes went wide.

"New employee? Cake? I honestly have no idea what you're talking about. Sidney!" Regina yelled, although she's pretty sure he was eavesdropping. It didn't take long for him to pop into her office doorway.

"Uh, yeah Regina? Need something?"

"Since when do we get cake to welcome new employees? And who is this new employee?"

"Um, it was, it – "

"Don't stutter, spit it out."

"Calm your tits, Gina. It was a new thing we decided to try out, so you don't go scaring away editors, especially since you'll be out on maternity leave." Mal obviously couldn't resist the spectacle that was taking place right outside of Regina's office.

"It's not my fault if people around here need to grow a pair. It's kill or be killed! We need to crush the competition."

"Yeah, that type of attitude is why we have so many editors lining up outside for a chance to work here."

"Uh, actually that's not quite untrue. We do have a wonderful reputation for signing really great accounts." Regina grinned widely as Mr. Gold stepped into her office, bypassing his employees. "Now then Regina, did I hear correctly, you forgot to bring the cake?"

"Uh, well, you see the thing is," Mr. Gold arched an eyebrow, patiently waiting for whatever lie Regina was trying to come up with. "The thing is what, Miss Mills? Pregnancy brain gotcha?" Regina's face immediately went from clueless to downright scowling.

"Now, let's get one thing straight, all of you, I do not suffer from pregnancy brain. There is something going on around here. I have had a rough morning already and you are adding to my soured mood. I will find out what's going if it is the last thing I do. I don't know who made me in charge of getting cake, but that person obviously forgot to mention it to me. If that cake is so damn important, I will make sure it gets here. Now clear out so I can work on these scripts and prepare for my conference call." Everyone stared at Regina in silence for a few moments, not sure if they heard her correctly. "I'm sorry, did I stutter?" Everyone shook their heads no and left Regina's office. Something fishy was definitely going on, but she really didn't have time to worry about it right now. Instead she dialed a number.

"Regina?" A sleepy voice responded after a few rings.

"Yes, Emma, it's me. I need you to do me a favor."

"Wha? Hang on a minute. Did you just ask me to do you a favor?"

"I really don't have time for this. Apparently I was in charge of picking up a cake for work, but I think that was bullshit because I would never forget something like that."

"Pregnancy brain?"

"No, Emma. There is no such thing. Someone is screwing around with my head, trying to make me look like I'm crazy. I don't have much time. I have a couple of meetings to prepare for and trying to finish things up for this book I'm working on."

"Oh yeah, the _Forbidden Fruit_ series. What fruit are we on now?"

"Emma, please. Can you just go to the bakery and get a cake that says 'Welcome Aboard'? Apparently I need to be more friendly and not scare new editors off so someone can take my place once the baby's born."

"Oh? Are you not going back to work after the baby's born?"

"What? Of course I am, you nit. No one's getting rid of me. Now can you help me?"

"Well, it's my day off. Killian took the day off too. We were gonna lay around naked all day, maybe eat some pizza and just chill."

"Great, there's an image I did not need in my head."

"Oh relax. Yeah, I'll get your stupid cake. What time do you need it by?"

"Um, eleven thirty."

"Geez Regina! That's really short notice!"

"I know, that's why it's a favor."

"Fine, but you owe me, big time for this."

"Thanks dear." Regina hung up the phone and leaned onto her elbows on her desk, massaging her temples. This was turning out to be the worst birthday ever and no one even knew it. Not that she made a big to do about her birthdays, but it is nice to have someone acknowledge it. She didn't need a big party or lots of presents, she just wanted people to remember the day she was brought into the world and if it weren't for this day, she wouldn't be in their lives. Their lives might not exactly be the way it was right now if she hadn't been born. She lets out a sigh and pulls the manuscripts from her briefcase. She was almost at the end of the story. She would finish up some last notes and send the edits back for revision. There were supposed to be six books in the series and she wanted to get them all done and scheduled for publishing before she left on maternity leave. She knew she could still work on edits from the comfort of her office at the house, but she wanted the security of not having to stress about deadlines in getting them done when she should be bonding with her baby.

After a few hours her phone pinged to let her know she had a text message. It was Robin checking in on her. She smirked, sent back a quick reply. It was almost time for her conference call and she didn't have time to go back and forth with Robin about her day and Squishy. And she wanted to give him the cold shoulder for forgetting her birthday. She put her phone on silent, grabbed her notebook, replaced her shoes and exited her office. Sidney was walking down the hall just as she exited, they almost collided. He was carrying flowers. So he had remembered!

"Are those for me?" She joked with him as they made their way towards the conference room.

"Don't be silly Regina, you're married! Why would I get you flowers? No, these are for the new hire." She stopped mid stride and he passed in front of her.

"Don't be so sour Regina, he was bound to move on, especially since you _are_ married. It would be inappropriate. Come on, let's get this over with." Mal jabbed Regina a little in the ribs as she continued down the hall.

"Uh yeah, I'll be there in a sec, potty break." She let out a wry chuckle. Mal nodded her head and ducked into the conference room. As soon as Regina stepped in the restroom, she shut the door and let out a small sob. None of her friends, her husband, her children, no one remembered her birthday. This was ridiculous. She stepped to the sink and tossed some water on her face. She didn't want anyone to know she'd been crying and ask her what was wrong. She didn't want the pain of telling them she was upset that no one remembered her birthday. She didn't want pity congratulations. She dabbed at her face and made sure she looked somewhat presentable. When she entered the conference room, the call already started and Mr. Gold didn't seem too pleased she missed the formal introductions and having to make small talk until she got there, she was the lead on this after all.

"Sorry I'm late. What have we already discussed?" She began as she sat down.

The call finished around eleven o'clock. Regina made her way back to her office and checked her phone. Emma was on her way with the cake Regina requested. Robin texted a few more times. She sent him a quick apology for not responding while she was on the conference call but nothing more than that. Regina made a bee line to the restroom for a quick potty break so she could meet Emma with the cake. Emma was a life saver, for once. After washing her hands and checking her makeup she popped back out the restroom just in time to see Emma coming up the hallway with the cake.

"Oh thank goodness you're here!"

"Yeah yeah, you owe me a drink. You know I have trouble functioning before 10 AM."

"Yes yes, I know, come on help me get this set up." Regina led Emma to the conference room. The seemingly empty conference room. No worries, Regina thought to herself. Lunch break was at noon. She made Emma come a little early with the cake. Regina flipped the lights in the recently vacated room. There were still empty paper coffee cups and water bottles in random places on the table. Regina picked up the waste basket and began collecting the items, all the while muttering under her breath how she didn't get paid to also be her coworkers' mother. It was enough she had to work with them. Emma stood awkwardly in the doorway, holding the cake, awaiting Regina's instructions.

"Uh, Regina, where do you want me to put this?"

"Hmm? Oh, I uh guess on the side table over there, where the coffee machine is."

"Okey dokes." Emma set about taking the box out of the grocery bag and set the cake on the table. Regina replaced the waste basket by the door and came to stand by Emma. Regina opened the box and let out a shriek. "Regina, are you crazy? That was in my ear!"

"Emma, what on God's green Earth is this?"

"A cake, like you requested! I even had them put 'Welcome Aboard'. The baker gave me a mean side eye while she did it too. She did not appreciate the last minute rush."

"But Emma, I wanted a plain cake, not Jake and The Neverland Pirates! I will never live this down!"

"Relax, it's fun!" Regina brought her hands to her head and massaged her temples. Emma Swan was no savior, no, she was the Angel of Death come to kill her reputation of being a hardass at work. How was she supposed to strike the fear of God in her coworkers if she brought in a cake featuring a child's cartoon?

"You are not leaving."

"What?"

"You have to stay so I can let people know who really brought the cake."

"But then they will know the all great and powerful Regina Mills – Hood forgot to do something."

"I don't care, I'd rather be known for that than for bringing some silly children's cake." Just then, Sidney walked in with his coffee cup.

"Oh Hey Regina. Who's your friend?"

"Sidney," Regina said sweetly, "you remember Emma? She was at my wedding. She brought the cake for the party." Regina nudged Emma to offer her hand for Sidney to shake. "Emma, this is Sidney." Sidney placed his coffee cup down so he could shake Emma's hand.

"Hello Emma. So, what brings you by here?"

"Something about Regina needing a cake for a party?"

"A party? What kind of party? I don't know anything about a party." Regina grit her teeth and her skin flushed three shades of red.

"What do you mean you don't know anything about a party, Sidney? You asked me this morning if I remembered to bring the cake for the welcome party for the new employee."

"No I didn't."

"Yes, you did, Sidney."

"I couldn't have. We don't have a new employee."

"I could've sworn you said we had a new employee we needed to welcome and not scare away so they will stay while I am out on maternity leave."

"I said that?"

"Yes," Regina hissed out.

"Hmmm, no I don't think I did."

"Mal was there!" Regina stepped out in the hallway. "Mallory Pendragon! Front and center!" It took a few moments, but no more than that for the blonde to saunter her way down the hall to the conference room.

"You requested my presence, your majesty?"

"Do you remember this morning a discussion about a welcome party for the new employee and I needed to bring a cake so we can make sure they stay on board at least through my maternity leave?" Mal stood there for a moment, considering Regina's question carefully.

"Hmm, I don't recall anything about a cake. Or a party. I do recall us discussing needing to find an editor to cover your absence during maternity leave." Regina let out a low growl and turned to Emma.

"Thank you for all the trouble you went through Emma. It appears I was mistaken. Or my coworkers are out to get me. Why don't you take the cake home and you and your sailor can enjoy it along with the pizza and Netflix while lying around naked in bed." Regina turned on her heel and exited the conference. She was definitely in a foul mood now. She sat down at her desk with the lights turned off. She needed to center herself. There was no need in getting herself worked up, it would stress out the baby. Whoever was playing this cruel joke on her seemed to have forgotten she was pregnant and she was already on pins and needles. This, this was added stress she did not need. A knock on her door. Her eyes snapped open.

"Come in," she called out. It was Mr. Gold.

"Hey Regina, seems you got your wires crossed this morning, eh?"

"If you're referring to the cake, it appears I did. You were there this morning, please tell me you remember this conversation. You even accused me of having pregnancy brain for forgetting the cake in the first place!"

"My dear Regina, I'm sorry. The pregnancy brain was in reference to our meeting this afternoon. Your secretary informed me how perturbed you were at the four o'clock time because you needed to pick your children up from school."

"Hmmpf," Regina huffed out a deep breath that blew her bangs from out her face.

"If you're having bad day, you can take two hours for lunch instead of one. How does that sound?"

"I can't, I really have to get through this third book if we're going to make this deadline. What's this four o'clock meeting about anyway?"

"Oh, uh, it is to discuss, oh hey Sidney, you need to see me?" Mr. Gold moved his head to behind the doorframe. "Sorry, Gina Sidney needs me. I'll see you at four o'clock, alright?" Mr. Gold disappeared down the hallway before Regina had a chance to respond. Another knock on the door jamb.

"Hey Regina, you still need me? Or can I go now?"

"Just, go. And don't forget that stupid cake." Regina dismissingly waved her hand at Emma. Emma gave a small nod of her head and left.

Regina can hardly concentrate on her edits, she's so worked up and it's nearing four o'clock. Mr. Gold never answered her question to what the meeting was about and she's feeling all out of sorts. She has no idea what materials to bring to the meeting, has no clear cut agenda she can follow to ensure she gets out of work on time so she's not too late retrieving her sons from Mary – Margaret. She sighs, better to go ahead and get this over with. She collects her legal pad and lap top and heads down the hall to Mr. Gold's office. His door is shut. The lights are off. In fact, her entire office floor is eerily quiet.

"Hey, Tink?" She calls out to her secretary.

"Yes Miss Mills?"

"Have you seen Mr. Gold? We had a meeting at four and it doesn't appear that he's in his office." Tink pauses for a moment, seemingly to collect her thoughts.

"Oh, uh, Mr. Gold. He uh, he's gone for the day, I think, yeah. I think recall him saying good bye not too long ago. He had plans. A big date tonight he said."

"Well isn't that flippin' fuckin' fantastic." Her secretary just stared wide – eyed, never heard Regina use those words before.

"Sorry, it's been a very fucked up day."

"It has?"

"Yes, today is my birthday and no one seems to have remembered it. In fact it seems everyone has gone out of their way to make sure I have a very unhappy birthday. I'm going home."

"Oh, I'm sorry Miss Mills. If it's any small consolation I hope the rest of your birthday will be happy, you know, once you get home."

"Ha, my husband isn't even going to be home until later. I'm just going to go home, run myself a bath and see if Emma finished off that stupid cake."

"Okay, well I guess I'll see you in the morning then. Good evening." Regina walked back down the hallway to retrieve her briefcase. She let out a small sigh and flicked the lights off. She was ready for this day to be over and done.

"Welp Squishy, looks like it's just going to be you and I for a little while. Whadya say we get some ice cream?" Regina made her way down to the car and headed off in the direction of the ice cream shop. It was closed.

"You have got to be friggin' kidding me!" She shouted out when she saw the sign on the door. "Winter hours. Don't they know I'm pregnant and need a hot fudge sundae with slivered almonds and cherries?! This is just great." Her phone let out a melodic tone. It was Mary – Margaret.

"Hello? Regina, ya there?"

"Yes Mary – Margaret. Is everything okay? Manage to get the boys alright?"

"Yeah, they're great. Hey, since our husbands are out playing racquetball you fancy coming over for a spell? Neal misses his Auntie Regina."

"Mary – Margaret, I've had a shit of a day. I really just want to go home and relax in my tub."

"Orrrr, you could come over and tell me all about your shitty day."

"Orrrr, you could pick up some McDonald's for the boys and drop them off at the house."

"Wow, you're letting me get them McDonald's? It really must've been a shitty day! I'll bring them by."

Regina sent up a silent prayer thanking the gods that Mary – Margaret didn't pursue the issue of spending time with her.

"Thanks Mare, I appreciate it." Regina bid her friend a farewell before climbing back into her car and heading towards Mifflin Street. The house was quiet when she entered and she was grateful for that. She kicked off her heels and set her briefcase down by the front door. She headed up the stairs towards her bedroom. The door was slightly ajar and she gave it a push, immediately pulling off her clothes and tossing them in the hamper in her walk in closet. She plugged up her ipod into the blue tooth and took into the bathroom where she ran water in the garden tub. She poured in a couple drops of lavender oil and bubble bath, intending to fully relax before Mary – Margaret dropped the boys off. She shut the water off and placed a foot in, testing the temperature. She lowered her body the rest of the way down and sank beneath the bubbles. She couldn't stay too long in the warm water but she was going to enjoy every last minute. The soft sounds of Norah Jones soothed her mood. After about twenty minutes she decided to take an actual bath and scrub away the grime of the day. She stood up and rinsed off, grasping a towel to dry her body. She climbed out of the tub and drained it. Approaching the sink of her bathroom she picked up her toothbrush and brushed her teeth, followed by mouth rinse and flossing. Dental health was really important in a pregnancy. Regina then headed to her dresser where she kept her lotion and body crème formulated to prevent stretch marks. Sitting down on the bed, she opened the container and began massaging her belly. There went those soft rumbling sensations again.

"Come on Squishy, let me know you're in there. Are ya going to kick for mama? No? Not quite ready yet?" The front door opened. "I'm upstairs Mare!" Regina called out. No response. Instead she heard a rush of footsteps on the stairs.

"Hey love, it's me." Robin appeared in the doorway, a bit sweaty and out of breath.

"Good evening dear, enjoy your game?" She responded, raising from the bed and pulling out some night clothes from the dresser.

"Yeah, it was great! We're thinking of scheduling more regular games. Thought I'd check with you to see what we could work out with the boys' schedule." He said, leaning to drop a kiss on her cheek. She stood rigid. "Hey, babe what's wrong?"

"Do you have any idea what today is?"

"Uh, Monday?"

"What is the date?"

"February first?"

"And?"

"Regina," he nervously chuckled out, "I don't know what you're getting on about, love." Regina turned to him with tears in her eyes. "Hey hey now, come 'ere" Robin reached forward to envelope her in a hug. She didn't budge. "What's going on? What's wrong?"

"I can't believe this!"

"What? Did I do something wrong?"

"You bet your sweet ass you did!"

"Well will you tell me so I can fix it?"

"Today is my birthday you nit!" Robin shrunk back.

"Oh my gosh! Regina! I am soo sorry!"

"Yeah, not as sorry as your back will be from sleeping on the sofa."

"Hey come on, that's not necessary. Let me take a real quick shower. You put on a nice pair of jeans and dressy shirt and we'll go out for dinner. How does that sound?"

"I'm not hungry."

"Come on babe, you have to eat, can't let Squishy starve." He pulled at her arms and led her over to their closet. He pulled out a deep plum sweater with a generous neckline, given how her breasts have grown. "Here, this looks nice, yeah? Now I'll only be a few minutes. I'm gonna make this up to you," Robin kissed her cheek and gave her a gentle push back towards the bedroom so she could get dressed. She really shouldn't let him sweet talk her into a birthday dinner when he'd clearly forgotten it was her birthday, but he was right, she couldn't let Squishy starve. With great reluctance she picked out a matching bra and panty set to go underneath the warm sweater Robin picked out and a pair of maternity jeans.

True to his word, it really did only take Robin around five minutes to shower. It took him another five to run a brush through his sandy brown locks and throw on a pairs of jeans with a matching plaid purple flannel shirt. Regina scoffed at his ridiculous outfit.

"You really need to stop taking fashion advice from David."

"Hey we match! Now let's go!"

"I get to pick, I'm the – oh, the boys! Mary – Margaret was supposed to drop them off! We can't leave!"

"Relax, let's just give her a call and ask her to keep them for a little while longer. It's just a quick bite to eat."

"But it's a school night."

"It'll be okay if they stay up a little later."

"Fine, but if either of them are grumpy in the morning, you get to deal with it," she gave Robin a gentle shove as she picked up her phone to dial Mary – Margaret's number. After a brief conversation Regina hung up. "Alright, let's go."

"Alright, where does mi'lady wish to dine tonight?" Regina bit her lip. "What?"

"You're gonna think it terribly silly."

"Try me."

"I think I have a hankering for some onion rings and a double cheeseburger with cheese sauce and jalapeños from Granny's diner." Robin pulled back and chuckled.

"If that's what you want, then that's what you shall have." Robin led her down the stairs, out the door and ushered her into the car. Soon they were off. After getting it off her chest how ticked she was her own husband had forgotten her birthday she felt a little freer to recount the strange events of her entire work day. Robin at least agreed that her coworkers were out to get her. It made her feel a little better that he agreed with her. She was so distracted with her story telling she didn't realize they'd pulled up outside of the town hall. Startled was one way to describe her facial expression.

"Robinnn," she whined out the last syllable. "What are we doing here?"

"Just a quick stop love, I gotta get some paperwork."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it'll only be a moment."

"Well, I'll wait out here."

"Um, would you mind coming with me? I'd hate to leave you here in the car all by yourself."

"Really, Squishy and I will be fine, now quit dawdling. The sooner you get your stupid paperwork the sooner I can get my onion rings and burger." Robin huffed out.

"You're stubborn, you know that?"

"Hey!"

"Regina, please, get out of the car and come with me, okay?" He opened her car door and held out his arm to help her out of the car. She hesitated for a moment. He gestured with his hand again. She relented and took it. They strode up the walk way and reached the door. "Alright, let me just find they keys." Regina rolled her eyes. "Ah, there we are." Robin unlocked the door and opened it, pulling Regina through with him.

"Robin, I can't see anything, where are you?"

"Right," the lights flicked on and a chorus of "Surprise!" echoed through the room, "here." He smiled at Regina as she looked back at him, tears welling in her eyes. Robin came to stand behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She pulled them around her front, holding him close. After the chorus of 'Happy Birthday' died down some she walked forward to her guests.

"Did you honestly think we would forget your birthday?" Robin asked.

"Well, the thought did cross my mind."

"We wouldn't forget mom!"

"Did you know about this Henry?"

"He, did. In fact it was his idea." Robin pulled Henry in for a hug.

"Happy Birthday Regina," Mr. Gold walked up to Regina with his arms outstretched as if for a hug.

"You are in serious trouble."

"I know, I know. Had to make sure you didn't cut out of work early and all that."

"Really?"

"Really."

"And don't worry Regina, we really did concoct the story about the cake." Mal approached Regina, closely followed by Sidney.

"Good, I didn't really think I was crazy."

"Oh, you're definitely crazy!" Mal exclaimed as she clapped her hand on Regina's back. "Now, let's go have some fun!" Mal looped her arm through Regina's and dragged her towards the decorated table in the front of the hall. There were presents and finger food, punch, and cake.

"Emma!" Regina called out, for she knew the blonde was around there somewhere. The entire hall went silent. "Emma Swan, front and center." There was a bit of shuffling of feet in the crowd and a few long minutes before Emma managed to squeak in front of Regina.

"Hey 'Gina, how's it going?"

"What is the meaning of this?" Regina indicated the cake sitting on the table. A few snickers went up through the crowd.

"It is your birthday cake."

"No, this is the cake you bought this morning."

"Yeah, for your birthday." Regina closed her eyes, and if everyone listened closely they could hear her counting to ten. Regina opened her eyes and her smile was tight.

"How considerate of you."

"Oh geesh, relax will ya? We all know how much you love chocolate cake with chocolate fudge icing." Emma stepped back to allow Mary – Margaret and David to walk forward with a sheet cake exclaiming 'Happy Birthday Regina' written on it. "Only trouble is, we weren't sure how many candles to get. We settled for forty – two. How does that sound?" Regina's tight smile went to scowling.

"Miss Swan, I'll have you know I am only thirty – six years old."

"Ha! I win! Pay up!"

"What?"

"I bet these losers I could make you admit your age."

"If I were you Miss Swan, I would watch my back."

"You hear that Sheriff? She threatened me!" Everyone let out a hearty chuckle. David held up his hands and put his fingers in his ears.

"I heard nothing."

"Oh come man! If I don't show up to work tomorrow, you know why!"

"Alright, let's get this over with. Squishy is hungry." Henry placed a couple of candles on the cake, Robin lit them and Mary – Margaret led the group in singing _Happy Birthday_ to Regina.

Two hours later found Regina shaking Henry awake in the car and Robin carrying Roland inside the house.

"I told you it was a bad idea to keep them out so late on a school night."

"Maybe, but it was worth it. Did you enjoy your birthday dear?" Robin asked as they stripped out of their clothes and got under the covers of their bed. Regina rolled to face him. She brought a hand to his cheek.

"More than you know. Thank you. It was a most magical evening." She leaned forward and kissed his lips. She then rolled away so he could spoon her. He snaked his arm across her hip and draped it over her belly. She intertwined their hands and settled herself. After a few minutes, Regina tensed. "Robin," she whispered into the dark. He grunted. "Robin, did you feel that?"

"What? Feel?"

"Shh, give me your hand." Robin flattened his hand and allowed Regina to guide it to the side of her belly. She rested for a moment. Robin started to withdraw his hand. "There, did you feel that?" He breathed heavy into the back of her neck and she could feel him smile. He kissed the back of her neck.

"He's kicking."

"Or she,"

"Or she,' Robin consented.

"This truly was a magical day."

And they lay like that for twenty more minutes, Regina shifting their hands feeling for the soft kicks from her baby that let her know it was safe and alive and well within her womb. And then she chuckled softly, recalling when Henry was still so small in her womb and kicked like a crazed ninja, always at night, always when she was trying to get comfortable to sleep. She found she wouldn't mind that experience again.


	26. Haunted

Sorry about the long wait, I hope you guys are still out there reading. I started on a different chapter, but after watching Devil's Due, I was inspired to write this piece. I hope you like it!

* * *

Though the stains had dried, fresh tears were threatening to fall. Choking back the sobs hurt her heart because she wanted nothing more to drown in her tears. Robin was in the shower and would be done soon and she didn't want to alarm him. The shower shut off and she could hear his soft hums. It was difficult for her to fall asleep last night, with his arms holding her tightly when all she wanted was freedom, from him, from her emotions, from her sadness and most importantly her guilt. Maybe that's why she was hurting more this year. Light cast shadows across the bedroom as Robin left the ensuite bathroom, tossing his towel on the floor beside the hamper, typical man, no different than Daniel. She could smell the pine scent from Robin's soap waft through the bedroom and she took a tissue from her bedside night stand to dab at her face. The tears started last night and she managed to convince Robin they were just sniffles from a cold. He was so caring; he made her soup and poured her up a glass of orange juice. He set his alarm a little early so he could take over the morning routine for Regina, making sure the boys were up and they had breakfast and got to school on time. She felt the bed dip and she pulled the covers closer around her body. Robin reached out a hand to her shoulder.

"Are you sure you'll be alright, love? Is there anything I can get for you? Some more juice maybe? You need to eat something, dry toast?" Regina sniffled some more and cleared her throat before responding.

"No, I'm sure I'll be fine. I just really need to rest. Things have been stressful at work with the _Forbidden Fruit_ book series. I already spoke to Mr. Gold – he said it was okay to take a day or two off."

"He did? That's surprising," Robin responded as he rubbed his hands up and down Regina's back.

"No, yeah, he uh, he said I'd gotten a lot done on the series – we're ahead of schedule."

"Alright, I gotta go get the boys up and work on breakfast. I'll bring you some oatmeal, apples and cinnamon?" Regina reached for his hand and brought it to her face, then kissed the palm.

"Oh Robin, you're so good to me, but really, I'm fine. I just want to sleep right now and anything you make me will go untouched and cold. I promise I'll eat okay?" Robin let his hand linger for a moment more on her cheek before drawing back, leaning forward and kissing her on the cheek, tasting the dried salty tears she cried last night and probably this morning. She may think she's doing a good job covering up, but he knows something isn't quite right with his wife and it has him worried. Worried that she won't share with him what she's feeling, what she's going through, what has her so upset that all she wants to do is lay around in bed. It was as if she was slipping into a deep depression and he wasn't quite sure what to do with that. For the past two weeks she seemed to be down. Smiling, but it was a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Hugging, but not hugging as if they were the most important people in her life. Eating, but only enough where no one would accuse her of starving the baby. Yes, something was wrong with Regina and Robin vowed to bring back the happiness to her life, or at least figure out how to help her find her happiness again. With a heavy sigh and a shake of his head Robin rose from the bed and headed out the bedroom door. Just as he was about to pull the door closed he heard his wife shudder out a cry. This was bad and he really was concerned he wouldn't be able to help her.

Robin steeled himself for the boys. It wouldn't do any of them any good if the boys knew their mother was upset. The boys would be sad and want to help her but Robin couldn't guide them in figuring out a good way to help her when he didn't know what was wrong. Regina would be upset that Robin let the boys know she was feeling anything less than herself. He arrived at Roland's door and gave a gentle tap. Sometimes Roland would be awake, sometimes he would not. Robin heard no sounds coming from the young boy's bedroom so he pushed the door open.

"Roland," he whispered out. "Are you awake, my boy?" No answer. Robin walked over to the bed and gave the boy a gentle shake. Roland began to stir under the covers. "Come on, time to get up." Roland let out a heavy moan.

"You're not mama." Robin chuckled a little to himself; leave it to Roland to make some quirky response that could melt anyone's cold heart.

"No, I'm daddy and daddy says it's time to get up and get ready for school."

"But what about breakfast?"

"I'm gonna make your breakfast." Roland's eyes shot open and he stared curiously at his father.

"Do you know how to make breakfast?" Robin placed his hand dramatically on his chest and let out a gasp.

"Do _I_ know how to make breakfast? What kind of question is that?" He asked incredulously.

"Mama always makes breakfast. You burn stuff."

"I do not."

"Yes you do, mama says so."

"She does, does she?" Roland nodded his head.

"Well, how much burned food did you eat before mama started making your breakfast?" Roland, now sitting up on the bed, cocked is head to the side as if deep in thought.

"I ate a lot!"

"Yeah, and who made all that breakfast?" Roland sat for a moment, formed a big grin on his face and launched himself into Robin's arms.

"You did daddy!" Roland yelled into Robin's face as the two collapsed into giggles. They went silent and Robin held Roland extra close. "Daddy, I can't breathe."

"Oh, sorry. Have you got your clothes picked out?" Roland shook his head no. "Alright, pick something out to wear while I check on Henry." Roland nodded his head and hopped down from the bed, heading to the dresser to pick out some clothes to wear. Just as he said he would, Robin found himself outside of Henry's bedroom door. Robin hesitated before knocking, wondering if perhaps Henry knew the reason for Regina's mood. They had somewhat of a strange relationship at times, Robin thought. Probably from years of being the only persons in their lives. Not that Regina inappropriately relied on Henry for emotional support, but there were definitely hints of it, especially in the early days of their dating. Robin wasn't sure if it was Regina leaning on Henry or Henry being a perceptive child and offering, subconsciously. Finally, Robin knocked on Henry's door. A muffled "Yeah, yeah mom, I'm up!" come from behind the door. Robin opened the door to find Henry pulling on a dark blue shirt.

"Sorry, not mom."

"Oh, hey Robin. Where's mom?"

"She seems to be feeling under the weather. I'm going to make you boys breakfast and ship you off to school, how does that sound?"

"Um, yeah sure, that's alright. Are you sure she's okay?"

"Yeah, just the sniffles. I'm going to bring her some juice a little later. Can you help Roland finish getting ready while I start on breakfast? Make sure his clothes match somewhat? And his teeth are brushed?"

"Yeah, I can do that."

"Thanks, seeya downstairs." Robin headed down the stairs, leaving Henry to finish dressing.

After pulling on his shirt, Henry put on his socks and shoes and headed down the hallway to check on Roland.

"Hey Ro, you almost done getting dressed?" Henry asked as he entered the younger boy's room.

"Almost, are my shoes on the right feet?" Henry walked over to the boy and checked out his entire outfit.

"Are you sure this is what you want to wear? Mom didn't set anything out for you?" Roland shook his head no.

"No, mama didn't put anything out. Don't you like my outfit?" Henry ruffled Roland's hair.

"Sure kid, now go brush your teeth. Your dad's making us breakfast." Roland took off towards their shared bathroom and Henry padded down the hall to his mom's room. He knew she wasn't sick. He knew what today was. It was their tradition every year. She'd take off from work and Henry would stay home from school. They would pack a picnic lunch and head out to the cemetery and spend the afternoon chatting with Daniel's headstone. Some might think it a little strange, but it was oddly therapeutic for the both of them. This year though, this year Henry had woken up and gotten dressed. His mother had not come to tell him they were staying home this year like all the years before. This year there was a Robin and a Roland and Henry figured Regina thought she should put this particular tradition behind them. Henry knew better.

Henry walked to the door of the master bedroom that Robin left slightly ajar. He took a deep breath and knocked softly. He heard a small grumble, a voice not quite belonging to his mother, let out something that sounded like, "I told you I'm fine Robin". Henry waited a beat before pushing the door open. He stepped inside the room to see his mother huddled over a pillow on one side of the bed. She looked in his direction before burying her face in the pillow to mute her cries she was now free to cry in front of Henry because he understood. Henry rushed to his mother's side and sat on the bed, carefully stroking her back. After a few moments he leaned forward so he was partially laying against her. She rolled onto her back and allowed Henry to fully recline on the bed. Now she was the one stroking his back, murmuring into his head how she didn't think this day would be just as hard as the others now that she had Robin. Henry simply nodded his head against her just. They lay like this, mother and son, for quite a few moments before a small voice yells out.

"Henry, I'm finished! Can we go down for breakfast now?!"

Henry picks up his head from his mother's chest and looks at her face. She offers up a small smile.

"You better go. He'll start to worry."

"But what about you? What about, you know, the thing we do?"

"I wasn't sure if we should do that this year." Henry stared deeply into his mother's eyes.

"I think we should. We're both a mess. I don't think I would feel right if we didn't." Regina reached up to stroke Henry's cheek.

"Oh, my little prince." A beat. "Alright, we'll stick to our tradition. I don't want Robin to know though. This is just something for us. We'll go on like today is a regular day, except I'm obviously staying home. Robin thinks I'm sick. Go to school. I'll pack us a lunch and pick you up from there. How does that sound?" Henry leaned forward and wrapped his arms around his mother's neck.

"I think that sounds like a great idea, mom."

"Henry! Are you in here?" Roland cried out again, this time pushing the door open to the master bedroom. Henry quickly pulled away from his mom.

"Mama, are you crying?" Roland asked as his little feet carried him quickly across the carpeted bedroom floor to the side of his mama. He paused in front of her and stared deep into her chocolate brown eyes.

"No, baby, I just have the sniffles. Mama's gonna stay home today, okay?" Roland nodded his head.

"Okay. Henry, we need to let mama and Squishy rest. Now let's go! I'm hungry! I don't wanna be late to school! We get to color for morning active, act, what's the word?"

"Activity." Both Henry and Regina said.

"Yeah, morning activity. Let's go!" Roland cried out for a final time as he grasped Henry's hand and pulled him forward. A small smile crept onto Regina's face as Henry waved a tentative good – bye to his mother. He was a little worried that she thought, for the briefest of moments, they shouldn't keep up with their tradition. Henry doesn't talk about his birth father very much and although is quite taken with Robin as his step – father, he doesn't like the thought of forgetting Daniel, even if Henry only has his mother's stories to keep the memories alive.

Henry allowed Roland to pass in front of him down the stairs on their way towards the kitchen. Henry could smell eggs and bacon with a hint of hot chocolate wafting through the downstairs. They approached the dining room and saw Robin set everything out. Henry was quite puzzled by this as they always ate in the kitchen for breakfast and lunch. Robin came through the double swinging doors carrying a tray.

"Oh hey boys, I've set everything out, I'm just gonna take this tray upstairs to your mom." Henry and Roland nodded as they pulled chairs out and sat down to eat. Henry noticed Robin prepared a plate of eggs with some toast, orange juice, water and a flower on the tray for his mom. His mouth formed a sly smile. Robin was a really great guy for his mom. He's never seen her so happy, so full of love as she was with Robin. She'd dated a few guys before, Henry even got to meet one or two, but none had recaptured the light in her eyes like Robin. Yes, Robin had stolen Regina's heart and Regina let him keep it. Henry and Roland dug into their breakfast as was custom because Regina was usually standing over them, rushing them, telling them how they dawdled in getting ready for school and that perhaps she would send them to bed earlier in the evening. Both boys would whine and she would purse her lips, negotiating with them that in the morning it would do them good to actually get out of bed when their alarms went off or else. She would go on to prepare a travel mug of coffee for her and Robin and instruct the boys to clear their plates and place them in the dishwasher so they could have clean dishes for dinner. The Hood – Mills family would file out the door and off to their destinations. Yes, this was their usual morning routine when one Regina Mills wasn't huddled under her bed covers sick with an incurable sickness.

Robin arrived upstairs outside of the master bedroom. He balanced the food tray in one arm while grasping the bedroom doorknob after knocking to announce his arrival. Regina lay huddled over his pillow on her side of the bed. She craned her head back when Robin started his approach to the bed. She scoffed, almost snorting as she rolled over and tried to sit up. Her belly was proving to be an obstacle in that regard.

"Robin, I told you I wasn't hungry." Robin set the food tray down on the dresser and hurried to his wife's side to help her sit up. He took the pillow she was cradling earlier and placed it behind her back to support her. He adjusted the covers so they lay low on her lap, accentuating the baby bump that was definitely there. Anyone who didn't already know Regina was pregnant would certainly have no trouble making that discernment now. He grinned a little at her complaint, surmising it wasn't a real one since she'd sat up. Robin fetched the food tray and returned to his wife's side, pulling the legs from underneath the food tray so it sat on the bed over her lap rather than on it.

"I know love, I know. What kind of husband would I be if I didn't force feed you?" Regina laughed a little as she tentatively forked the eggs, placing them in her mouth and chewing slowly. Good, Robin hadn't managed to screw them up. She took a bite of the plain toast and washed down the bites with a sip of orange juice. She sat the fork down and folded her arms on top of her belly.

"Satisfied?"

"Well, no not really. You only had a bite of eggs and toast."

"It was all I could muster dear. I'm sorry," she said as she reached out a hand to stroke his face. Robin let out a sigh and an idea popped into his head. He picked the fork back up and forked more eggs onto it. Regina stared in disbelief, rolling her eyes as Robin began making whirring noises with his mouth, moving the fork back and forth as if it were an airplane. He paused the fork in front of Regina's mouth.

"This is Captain Robin to ground control, request permission for landing." Regina just sat there, tightening her lips. Robin made static noises with his mouth, imitating the radios used for communication. "I repeat, ground control this is Captain Robin requesting permission to land at the Hood – Mills airport, please respond." As her lips parted to let out a small chuckle at her husband's antics, Robin popped in the forkful of eggs, forcing Regina to bite down and reluctantly eat them. She placed a hand on his hand to stop him from going for more eggs.

"Please Robin, I'm not in the mood, okay?" Robin dropped his head, looking slightly defeated. He removed the tray from her lap and placed it on her night stand. "Now, are the boys dressed and ready? Do they have their book bags? Their homework present and accounted for?" Robin nodded his head to each of her questions. "Good. It's getting late; Roland said he didn't want to miss morning activity today."

"He saw you?"

"Yeah, he and Henry both stopped in."

"Okay love, I'm going to go now. I'll ring you later to check in and see how you're feeling, okay?" He leaned down and pecked her lips.

"That sounds fine, I'll be here."

"And please, please, please finish your breakfast. I worked really hard on it." She let out another small chuckle for she did indeed know how hard he worked on such a simple breakfast of scrambled yet runny eggs and unburnt toast. Robin retreated from the bedroom, shutting the door behind him. She let out a heavy sigh and prepared to haul herself off the bed. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and paused. She took another deep breath and pushed herself up to a standing position. The baby shifted onto her bladder. With all the crying she'd been doing she wasn't certain she had any fluid left in her for peeing, but the baby proved her wrong. Regina walked over to the window in time to see her boys climb into Robin's truck and head out. She shook her head; they needed to discuss possibly getting a van so everyone could sit comfortably in a vehicle. Roland still had to sit in a booster seat and she wasn't sure Henry would be comfortable seated in between a booster seat and a carseat. Regina felt a twinge in her lower abdomen and the distinct feeling of urine leaking out.

"Damnit. At least I remembered those panty liners. Baby, can you cooperate with mommy today? She's not feeling well and isn't quite sure how she's going to make it through this day," Regina sighed out as she rubbed her belly while quickly walking to the en suite bathroom to pee. She lowered herself onto the toilet seat and relieved herself. Regina was quite surprised how much urine actually came out. She wiped, got up and flushed. She moved to wash her hands and caught her reflection in the mirror. Perhaps Robin was right to be a little worried, she looked like hell. Maybe a nice hot shower would soothe her aches and pains. It didn't take her long to step to the shower, turn it on and let the water warm before she was shedding her clothes. Once she stepped into the shower, she headed straight for the showerhead, standing underneath, almost drowning in the cascading water. She stood like that, allowing the hot water to wash away her tear stained face for a few moments before reaching for the shampoo and washing her. Next she grabbed the puff and lathered it up with her favorite scented body wash, rubbing it all over her body. Finally she took a washcloth and the bar soap to wash her vagina in order to not disturb her natural flora and risk infection. She shut the water off and grabbed her towel to dry herself. Steam fogged the mirror as she stepped to the sink to brush her teeth and wash her face. She looked better, she felt better. She headed to the dresser and took the body butter with her to sit on the edge of the bed. Well, she sat on Robin's side of the bed, in front of the full length mirror. Her towel gathered around her waist while she took some of the body butter and began rubbing it in her belly. She didn't want stretch marks and this was very intimate – she felt it helped connect her to the still growing fetus inside her. This act comforted her as she feel the soft rumbles she was sure was her child. After a few minutes she was satisfied the body butter had completely absorbed in her skin, she lotioned the rest of her body and searched for clothes to dress in. She approached her walk – in closet and headed straight to the back where _his_ clothes were. It was another part of her tradition to dress in one of Daniel's button downs. Unfortunately she'd never been pregnant before during this ritual so she hoped one of the few button downs she kept would fit over her protruding belly. She pulled out a red and orange flannel shirt. She headed for one of Robin's drawers and pulled out a plain white under shirt. The fabric of the undershirt stretched comfortably over her baby bump. Satisfied, she slipped her arms into the flannel button down and began to button it. It was a tight fit over the baby bump as Daniel had a slim build, but she thought she could always unbutton some of the buttons a later if she got too uncomfortable. She rummaged through her underwear drawer and pulled out some thick gray wool tights and pulled them up her thighs and over her hips, both of which seem to have gained a little fat in those areas. Satisfied with her outfit, she wandered back over to her bed and picked at the offerings still left on the tray. She may not have been hungry earlier, but she definitely wasn't in the mood for eggs and dry toast. No, per their annual tradition, she and Henry would eat a lunch packed with things Daniel liked to eat. Hot wings and fries and her apple tarts. She much wasn't in the mood for cooking either of those things and thusly picked up the phone to dial Granny's.

"Granny's, Ruby speaking." Ruby answered the phone. Ruby was met with silence. "Hello? Anyone there? This better not be a prank, I haven't had my Irish coffee yet, so I'm not quite in the mood for games." Another breath.

"Ruby."

"Regina? Is that you?"

"Yeah, it's uh, me."

"Hey. Cutting it kinda close there, aren't cha?" Regina hummed into the phone.

"So, Daniel's buffalo wings and fries? Extra ranch dressing?"

"Mmmhmm."

"Want a side salad with that?"

"Maybe a grilled chicken salad? Spicy foods aren't really my friends nowadays."

"You got it. When will you be by?"

"Um, maybe give me thirty minutes?"

"Sure. We'll seeya here."

"Oh, and Ruby?"

"Yeah?"

"I wasn't quite in the mood to make apple tarts this year."

"Say no more, unfortunately all we have is apple pie. Will that do?" Regina smiled into the phone.

"Yeah, that'll be fine." She hung up the phone and reached for the tray to carry it downstairs. She hears the whirring of the dishwasher and smiles a little bit. Her husband was very good to her and what a shame it was she was feeling a little selfish and annoyed and ungrateful and all these emotions bubbling to the surface, threatening tears again. Her eyes are full and the salted liquid spills forth, streams running across her plump, rosy cheeks. She scrapes the food off into the trash can and places the dishes in the sink. They can wait until later to be cleaned. She stretches as much as she can to grasp the picnic basket on top of the refrigerator. She felt a little silly packing one since she was picking food up from Granny's, but she figured the entire meal didn't have to be entirely unhealthy. She grabbed a couple of Roland's juice boxes and the package of pre – sliced fruit Robin picked up earlier in the week when she was feeling too glum even for grocery shopping. She grabbed a couple of water bottles as well and headed for the hall closet. Standing on her tippy toes again she reached for the blanket they would take with them every year. It was the only time the blanket was used. It belonged to Daniel – his grandmother made it for him when he was a baby and the older woman gifted it to them a few months before she died, for her great – grandchild she told them. The sentiment brought tears to Regina's eyes back then because they were so desperately trying to get pregnant with no success. Regina and Daniel accepted the gift, but when they got home Regina was so distraught she made Daniel place it in the hall closet. Five months later when Daniel's grandmother passed away she found Daniel seated on their sofa in front of a fire huddled in the blanket. Seeing her husband in mourning, she did what she could, sitting beside him and offering him comfort. She knew he was in no state, but she did allow him to take her on that sofa, wrapped in his grandmother's blanket. It was the most beautiful, sensuous experience she'd ever had with her husband. He was gentle and caring and worshipped her body as if she was a most delicate flower worthy only of looking and not plucking. They made love for hours and after they were sated they cuddled into each other, shedding tears. Funny then how a few weeks later Regina found herself worshipping the porcelain king for the third time that day. Mr. Gold made her leave work because he didn't need a stomach virus running rampant at the company. She'd only been working there for a little under a year and she was terrified of making a bad impression. Mal comforted her somewhat, telling her Mr. Gold seemed tough, but really he was a big softy and even seemed to have a soft spot for Regina. Mal even helped Regina to her car, declaring if she got sick, Regina had to wait on her hand and foot. They had a good chuckle at that and Regina relaxed, her anxieties about the people at her job liking her ebbed just a little.

She'd made it home and was making herself chicken broth on the stove because she hadn't really had the opportunity to keep anything down and she was feeling a bit weak and dizzy. After giving the broth a quick stir, she pulled open the fridge door and got a whiff of last night's takeout from Granny's and while she had salivated over the cheesiest cheeseburger that needed an extra big smear of pimento cheese she was most certainly not salivating over it now. In fact it made her quite nauseated and she found her self in a mad dash towards the downstairs bathroom. That was where Daniel found his wife a few hours later when he returned from work. She was too weak to move and respond to him calling out to her. She'd left the stove on and the broth she was warming up had all but evaporated out the pot, smoking the kitchen some. She heard him rushing to the kitchen to shut the stove off, heard him clang the pot in the sink, heard the water steam when he rinsed it out in the sink. He called to her again. She weakly responded that she was in the bathroom. He was by her side, cupping her face, pulling her to him and asking her so, so many questions her head hurt. Finally he calmed down enough to properly look at her. He asked her if she'd been throwing up, she nodded her head weakly. He prompted her, reminding her it was the fourth time that week. She responded, yeah, a stomach bug. He asked her if it was possibly a stomach bug that wouldn't go away for quite some time. She peered up at him through bangs that stuck to her forehead with sweat. She promised him she would go to the doctor first thing in the morning and maybe he could get her some peppermint tea to settle her stomach instead. He slowly nodded his head and left the bathroom. He returned a little while later with her tea and a box. She queried him, asking him what he was doing with that particular box. He told her to relax and he was just going on a hunch and asked her if she trusted him. She stared into his eyes, searching and realized he was dead serious. He asked her again if she trusted him and this time she nodded her head. He helped her drink a few sips of tea before helping her to her feet. He sat her on the toilet and opened the box, the pregnancy test she bought a few months after the last round of treatments, but then her cycle came and she angrily tossed it into the back of the cabinet underneath their master bath. He handed her the test stick and asked if she wanted some privacy. She told him it was his idea and she wanted him in close proximity to use as a punching bag if it wasn't what they wanted. He chuckled, held her hand and stroked her head, murmuring in her ear that he was there for her and that she should just trust him. She clenched his hand, feeling the urge to urinate. She let go of his hand and stuck the tip in the stream of urine that flowed from her body. She brought the stick out and Daniel took it from her hands and placed it on the edge of the sink. Finding strength after feeling weak, Regina quickly wiped, pulled back on her dress pants, moved Daniel out of the way so she could wash her hands and quickly exited the bathroom. Daniel called after her but did not chase her, afraid to leave the pregnancy test unattended. He figured his wife could use some time anyway. Regina found herself on the sofa with Daniel's grandmother's blanket resting on the back. Feeling chilled, she pulled it close around her body, saying a silent prayer and letting tears silently fall from her face. It was Daniel's voice startling her after a few moments. Her breath caught in her throat. She couldn't quite read Daniel's voice; wasn't sure if it was happy or sad, plaintive, asking for forgiveness that he'd gotten their hopes up. He called out to her again, but she said still as a rock, not ready to face disappointment again. Finally he walked in front of her and squatted down in front of her face. She refused to look at him; didn't want to see the disappointment in his face that she failed to conceive yet again. The breath she was holding begged her for release and she let it go, with choked out sobs. Daniel reached up to wipe the tears, asking her why she was crying. She choked out because she was a failure. He asked what she was talking about and she replied because she couldn't give him a child. He told her that was the silliest thing he'd ever heard of and that her stomach bug wasn't going away because it wasn't a stomach bug. She told him he was being sweet to her, but she knew it was a stomach bug. He chuckled a wry laugh and told her he hoped that's not what she wanted to call their child. She stared heard into his eyes, asking him if he was serious and telling him if he knew what was good for him he would stop playing. He held up the pregnancy test in front of his face. Her mouth gasped open and the blanket fell away from her hands as she reached out to grab that stupid little test that tormented her for the better part of her marriage. She pulled it to her face and stood up. Daniel circled her, not sure of his wife's reaction. He was pleasantly surprised when she finally screamed out oh shit! And even a holy shit! Nothing was more precious to him than that moment when a big, wide grin finally broke out on Regina's face as she realized she was pregnant. She wrapped her arms around Daniel's neck and kissed him so passionately. She broke the kiss and pulled back from him to make sure there really were two lines. Daniel reached around her waist, hoisting her in his arms, spinning her a bit before she begged him to put her down less he wanted peppermint tea all over his uniform. He sat her down on the sofa, draping his grandmother's blanket around them, both of them silently thanking grandmother for this wonderful gift.

Sighing at the memory, Regina pulled on her boots and grabbed her coat before heading out the door to her car. She arrived at Granny's ten minutes later and rushed inside. Ruby stood at the register as Regina handed her money for her purchase.

"It's good to see you in here Regina."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, we were all sad to learn of Daniel's passing. It's amazing you keep his memory alive. I know he was your husband and you have more right to miss him more than anyone else in this town, but we mourn with you." Regina wasn't quite sure what to make of that, but she took it for what it was, words of comfort.

"Thank you Ruby. I know it seems silly and I've been beating myself up for the past two weeks, confused if I should continue on now that I have Robin in my life, but when Henry came into my room, asking if we weren't going to do our thing this year, I knew at that moment Henry is the one who truly needs this, even more than I do, than we do. Henry never even really got to know his father. This tradition is all he has, all he has to look forward to and I could never take that away." Ruby just stared and let Regina speak. Granny came from the back with Regina's order and came around from the back, setting the order on the counter and then pulling Regina into as tight of a hug as she could.

"My goodness, Jr's getting pretty big there." Regina choked out a laugh and arched an eye brow at the older woman.

"Jr? Know something I don't"

"Yeah, Granny's started a pot on the sex of the baby, you've got inside information, care to share?"

"Not quite far along enough to tell the sex. Robin and I haven't really discussed if we're going to find out or wait to be surprised."

"Weren't you already surprised? Emma told us how she and Mary – Margaret had to trick you into taking the pregnancy test and telling you you were pregnant." Regina simply rolled her eyes in response.

"Remind me to teach Mary – Margaret and Emma on the importance of keeping secrets. Telling other people's business might come back and bite them in the ass." There was an awkward silence between the three women before Regina finally grasped her food and retreated out the front door.

The ride over to Henry's school wasn't much longer. Regina parked in the parking lot and nervously approached the building. She cautiously walked to the front office, not wanting to attract any attention on this day. Arriving at the front office, she pushed the door open and approached the front desk. The secretary wasn't at her desk, so Regina had to stand there for a few moments.

"Ah, Miss Mills, Henry said you would be by this morning to check him out. I thought that boy was crazy, yet here you are!"

"Yeah, we have an appointment to get to. Can you have him paged out of class please?"

"Certainly, give me a moment, why don't you have a seat, rest your feet, hm?" Regina nodded her head and sat on the sofa in the office, not realizing how sore her back was feeling. Ten minutes passed before Henry came rushing into the office. Regina rose to her feet quickly as he embraced her, tears he'd been holding back finally free to fall.

"I'm glad you're here, mom."

"Me too baby, me too," she responded, stroking his head and back. They both sniffled and silently left the office. They walked to her car and settled in for the ride to the cemetery. It was about twenty minutes outside of the city, down an empty road. The ride was silent, but they didn't need words. There was a connection with them, deepened by the loss of Henry's father and sometimes they didn't need words to know what the other was feeling.

* * *

Regina pulled onto the gravel pathway that wound its way around to the back of the cemetery; easy access to Daniel's grave, but private enough for the picnic lunch Regina prepared for them. She parked the car and Henry hopped out, reaching for the basket in the backseat while Regina grabbed the blanket and they both headed over to Daniel's grave. Henry stood to the side while he waited for Regina to spread and smooth the blanket out before he plopped down with the food.

"Grilled chicken salad? You're got gonna eat hot wings with me?" Regina chuckled.

"Normally, you know I would. Your father ate them all the time and teased me for eating healthy, but I would tell him it didn't stop me from stealing wings off his plate. This year though, there's a baby in here," she said rubbing her swollen belly, "and baby doesn't really like spicy food." Henry mouthed a silent 'oh' as he continued to set their picnic items out. This is how their macabre picnic lunch began, first they ate. Then Henry and Regina would tell Daniel all the things that happened in the last year. And then the most bittersweet part, for Regina at least, Henry would request Regina tell him a story about Daniel.

* * *

The door to Mary – Margaret's classroom flung open and a flustered Robin appeared in the doorway.

"Robin? I uh mean, Officer Hood, how can I help you?"

"Sorry to bother you Ms. Nolan, can I speak to you?" Mary – Margaret's eyebrows arched almost as high as Regina's.

"Now?"

"Yeah, it's really important."

"Okay, yeah, uh sure. Give me a moment. Okay kids, why don't you start reading the chapter, silently. I'll just be out in the hallway. August, you're name taker." Mary – Margaret sat down her copy of _Black Beauty_ and joined Robin in the hallway. "Okay, I'm here, what was so important you couldn't shoot me a text on my phone?" She fussed out in a whisper.

"I can't find Regina."

"What do you mean you can't find Regina? Isn't she at work?"

"No, she hasn't been feeling well these past couple of days, swears it's just a cold. She even called out of work today."

"Oh, wow, she must be really sick then."

"Yeah, she's not really eating."

"Okay."

"Yeah, so I texted her after I got to work to see if she finished breakfast and if she wanted me to stop by for lunch and she didn't answer."

"Well, maybe she was asleep."

"I thought so to, so I rang the house."

"Why would you do that?! You know how valuable sleep is to her right now!"

"I know, I know, but I was worried okay? Not a lot of meds a pregnant woman can take. Since she didn't answer the house phone either, I decided to go home on my lunch break and bring her something to eat."

"Okay, with you so far," Mary – Margaret said as she motioned with her hands for him to continue.

"I pulled up to the house and her car is gone. I head inside and she's not there, there's no note, she just left dishes in the sink, which she gets onto me about because she doesn't want ants in the kitchen. I try her cell phone again and nothing. What if something bad has happened?"

"Slow down, slow down. Did you call the hospital?"

"Well, even the sheriff's office doesn't act on missing persons until after twenty – four hours."

"Hmm, and she didn't say anything about possibly going out when you left her this morning?" Robin shook his head no.

"No, I could barely get anything out of her other than she wasn't hungry and to not make her breakfast, even though I did. Oh my gosh, do you think she's ignoring me because I made her breakfast when she didn't want it? I was only thinking of the baby."

"No, I don't think she would do that. She's been like this for the past few days?"

"Yeah, why do you ask?"

"Robin, what's today?"

"March 20th, why?"

"Oh Robin."

"What? What is it?"

"Today's the day Daniel died." Robin's features softened.

"Well, what does that have to do with where Regina is?"

"I'm not sure if it's my place to tell you seeing as she hasn't told you."

"Please, I just need to know she's okay."

"She's fine, there's nothing to worry about. I won't tell you everything, but, you might find your wife at the cemetery."

"What?"

"It's this thing she does. Why don't you wait until she gets home? Ask her to tell you a little bit about Daniel because you don't want her to forget. Especially on a day like today, but don't let her know you know. She'll wring both our necks." Robin nodded his head.

"Okay, thanks."

"You're welcome. Now I have a class to get back to. Oh, and Robin, should you find your neck in Regina's hands, feel free to hide out with David and I."

"Thanks Mary – Margaret."

* * *

It was hours later when Regina and Henry finally made it back to their house on Miflin Street. The day passed so quickly, time had gotten away from them. Regina opened the front door, ushering Henry in and sending him upstairs to get started on his homework. Warm smells from the kitchen greeted her senses once she made her way into the foyer. Roland was seated at the coffee table with cut up hot dog pieces on a plate and he pretended to feed them to his Lego pieces every now and then. Regina smiled at the little boy and approached him, sitting down on the sofa behind him. Roland turned around to see her and a big grin spread across his face as he launched himself into her arms. He pulled back slightly, remembering Regina had a baby in her belly and he cautiously rubbed her stomach, murmuring "I'm sorry baby," before petting her stomach again and placing a gentle kiss. A hearty laugh rumbled through her body and Roland looked up at Regina in surprise, thinking he finally felt the baby move. He was a little disappointed when her stomach stopped its motions when she caught herself laughing.

"That's not nice Gina." Roland scolded. She could tell he was really mad because that's the only time he didn't call her mama.

"I'm sorry dear, I'm just so glad you're so caring for your little brother or sister."

"Why can't I feel them yet?"

"Them? There's only one in there. And he or she isn't quite big enough for you to feel."

"But daddy says he got to feel."

"Well, I think daddy just pretends to feel. I can barely tell he's moving around in there."

"Oh kay."

"Speaking of your daddy, do you know where he is?"

"Uh – huh," Roland responded, nodding his head up and down dramatically.

"Well, don't keep me in suspense where is he?"

"He's in the kitchen. He said he wanted to make you a special dinner, but it's a surprise!" Then Roland leaned in close to Regina's ear, "Don't tell him I told," he whispered loudly. Regina chuckled and placed the small boy back down on the floor. She stood up and smoothed out the flannel shirt in preparation for facing her husband. She passed through the doors that led to the kitchen to see Robin putting the finishing touches on their meal.

"Hey love, thought I heard you and Henry come in. Are you feeling better?" Regina stared at Robin, not sure what to make of the scene before her. She folded her arms across her chest and hummed.

"Mmmm, much better. What's all this?" Robin removed the dishtowel he had thrown over his shoulder and approached Regina. She backed up instinctively. Robin pulled her hands down and wrapped his arms tightly around her. Regina could only stand still in his embrace. Robin turned his head so he could rest it on her shoulder and inhale the scent from her neck and pecking a kiss there. He whispered in her ear, "Tell me about Daniel." Immediately Regina went rigid and pushed Robin away. "Who told you?" Her face twisted into one of anger or grief, Robin wasn't quite sure.

"Hey, hey, it's alright."

"Robin. Who. Told. You."

"Does it matter?"

"Yes."

"How so?"

"Because, because, it – " Regina was at a loss for words. She really wasn't quite sure why she was keeping this secret from Robin. True, it was a private thing for she and Henry, but as her husband, shouldn't he know these things?

"I know this isn't something you're ready to share. That's why I made you dinner, so you could have a safe space to tell me whatever's going on in that head of yours. If you want to remember Daniel, I want you to remember Daniel. I don't want you to forget about him because I'm here now. I still think about Lydia – I don't want to forget her either. She gave me Roland and I will always love her for that. When I look at him, I see her. Her personality, her brown eyes, so full of love and care and I know that's her living on through her son." Regina choked back a sob and this time when Robin embraced his wife she didn't resist. She hugged him tight and a rush of tears and sobs came forward. They stood like that for quite some time. Robin stroking her back and murmuring that is was okay for her to cry and to let it all out. Nothing was more therapeutic or welcoming or refreshing than Robin letting her to cry in his arms. Even though the yearly tradition was for her and Henry, Regina never felt it appropriate for her to mourn as she was in this moment. When finally Regina's cries were reduced to sniffles and she pulled back from Robin, she kissed him strong but chastely. Her eyes were red and puffy and her cheeks were soaked, as was Robin's shirt. Robin led Regina over to the kitchen table and sat her down while he dampened a paper towel. He approached Regina and wiped her face and offered her a dry paper towel to dry her face with.

No more words were exchanged between the two of them as they ate a dinner of steak, green beans and roasted red potatoes. Robin even got Regina a bacon donut from the bakery. Henry had come down just as they were finishing and Robin immediately got up and made Henry a plate, telling him he could eat in the den and watch a movie with Roland. Henry looked at his mom for confirmation and she offered a small smile, nodding her head that yes, it was okay. He backed his way out of the kitchen, leaving Robin and Regina in silence yet again. Regina still looked a little sad. Robin scooted his seat close to Regina and she leaned over to rest her head on his shoulder as silent tears passed down her face once more. They stayed like that until soft sores could be heard coming from Regina. Robin sat her up a little, startling her. He whispered for her to go back to sleep as he held her and placed his arms under legs and upper back to carry her to their bedroom. He passed by the den and saw both Henry and Roland passed out on the floor. Robin tucked Regina in the bed and returned downstairs to send the boys upstairs to bed. It didn't take him long to clean up the kitchen and rejoin his wife in their bed. Just as many nights before, she snuggled in close to him and sighed contentedly.

This was his life now. Yes, they both were haunted by the ghosts of their former spouses and yes they had different ways of mourning them or remembering them, but it was all they knew how to do. He was a little sad there were still parts of Regina unknown to him but that was in part what attracted him to her – she had secrets that she struggled to keep hidden. He often wondered why it was so hard for her to share them with him. She had him, she didn't need to be strong all the time. He let out a sigh and stroked Regina's head. He kissed the top of her head and settled himself into the covers. Falling asleep his last thoughts were of how much harder he was going to work on letting Regina know she was okay and that he would keep her safe, always.

* * *

Please leave a review!


	27. Afternoon Delight

Dead man walking. Or rather, dead pre – teen walking. Henry swallowed uneasily as he made his way out of the school building after his English class. For the first time ever in his young life he got a C on a paper. His mom was going to kill him. A million thoughts ran through his head. Was he going to be able to keep this from her? Will his teacher want to schedule a meeting with his mom to discuss this disappointment? Could he talk Robin into going to the teacher – parent conference instead? Would he able to convince Robin to keep this just between the two of them? He had a lot to think about and not a lot of time with which to do it. He absentmindedly walked towards the elementary school so he could pick up Roland. Henry had no afterschool activities which meant he could watch Roland for the two hours after school ended before his mother got home. Two hours. That was really all the time Henry had to figure out to not bring up his English paper. He really had not tried all that hard on it. He was lucky so far in his writings, but it appears, this time, his luck ran out. He told his mother all those nights he was staying up late that he was working on his paper when, in reality, he was reading his comic books. She was so proud of him for working so hard on his paper; she assured him he would get an A with all his effort. He hated to disappoint her. Every day when they sat down for dinner she asked if the paper had been returned to him. Perhaps they would go out and celebrate. How could he break his mother's heart? The thoughts were weighing him down so much so that he didn't realize he made it to the elementary school and Roland had come up to him, tugging on his hand.

"Hennnnry!"

"Oh, hey Ro."

"What are you doing?"

"Just thinking."

"Oh, thinkin' 'bout what?"

"Um, nothing."

Roland quirked up his lips, something he picked from Regina. She did it enough around the boys.

"You're quiet to be thinkin' 'bout nothin'."

"You sure know a lot of big words for a five year old."

"Mama says I'm smart! Just like you!"

Henry groaned a bit. Just like him.

"You wanna stop off at the park before we head home?" The park was Henry's favorite place to sit and think. His actions for the afternoon need a lot of consideration. Roland could play and Henry could sit and think without the young boy bothering him too much. Roland nodded his head enthusiastically. Henry watched Roland jog ahead of him and off towards the direction of the park. They couldn't stay long, his mom might be a little upset if they got home after she did and they still had homework to complete. After another ten minutes of walking, Henry arrived at the park where Roland was hard at play on the swings, pumping his legs up and down, swinging higher and higher. Henry decided to join his younger brother on the swing set, only he just sat there, allowing inertia to turn him this way and that. Roland stopped himself on the swing. He hopped off and went to stand in front of Henry's downcast eyes. He stooped low so he could look up into Henry's eyes.

"You okay Henry?" Henry let out a big sigh, his head leaning heavy into his hands, supported by his knees.

"I don't know Roland."

"What don't you know?"

"I don't know what's gonna happen when mom finds out."

"Finds out what?" Roland asked. The five year old was curious and never seemed to run out of questions to ask. Henry sat up to look at his step brother properly.

"You know that paper I was working on?" No, Roland honestly didn't know what paper Henry was talking about. Roland's main concern these days were tracing his letters and learning sight words. And after all that, playing with his Legos or looking at the pictures in Henry's comic books. After a moment Roland shook his head. "Well, mom thought I was working really hard on it, and to be honest, I really wanted to work hard on it, I just forgot to."

"But what's mama gonna find out?" Roland was a little confused about Henry's current tangent. All Roland wanted to know was what the big secret was. Was it like mama's surprise birthday party? It was a good thing, a good secret to be kept. She was happy when she found out. He said as much. "Mama likes finding out secrets!" Henry looked at the young boy, a puzzled expression on his face.

"What are you talking about?"

"You know! How we had to keep her birthday party a secret! We weren't supposed to tell anyone!" Henry smirked a trade mark Regina smirk.

"This isn't that kind of secret, Ro," Henry responded.

"Oh, well, what kind of secret is it?"

"It's one that if found out could get me into trouble."

"What kind of trouble?"

"Oh, maybe I'll get grounded. No tv, no ice cream, no comic books. It'll be awful."

"What's awful?" Henry let out an exasperate sigh. Here he was, pouring out all his fears to his young brother but the boy failed to grasp the gravity of the situation, just how terrible Henry's life was going to be for however long his mother deemed fit. He had to come up with some way for her to not find out about the grade on his paper.

"Awful is kinda like bad."

"Really?"

"Yeah, you know how during the week mom doesn't let us watch tv?"

"Sometimes she does."

"Well, even for the sometimes I still wouldn't get to watch. You guys would get to have fun without me."

"Ohhh, I'm sorry Henry," Roland said as he patted the older boy's hand.

A knock on his office door pulled David's attention from the lunch he was taking at his desk. He still had some reports to read over if he wanted to get home to his wife on time. David looked up to see Robin leaning over into the windows of his office, waving. David finished chewing his current bite of food and motioned for Robin to enter.

"Hey Robin, what can I do for you?"

"Really sorry about this,"

"What is it? Is something wrong?"

"Yeah, it's Regina."

"Oh? What's wrong? Something happen? Is she okay?"

"She called to tell me she had to go home early, that she wasn't feeling well."

"Oh."

"Yeah, I was wondering if it was okay if I took off a little early to check on her?" David leaned back in his chair to consider Robin's request.

"What can you do for her if she's already at home?" Robin sighed, took a moment before responding,

"Well, you know Regina. Stubborn ol' broad. I'm pretty worried, no matter how ill she's feeling she would never go home early and certainly not bother to tell anyone about it. A silent sufferer that woman is." David nodded his head in agreement.

"Well, I guess so. Alright, you can go. I can handle stuff until Emma gets here, I suppose." Robin turned to leave and David called out to him, "Just keep your radio on you in case I need backup." Robin turned back around to face his superior.

"Uh yeah, you got it bossman."

"And you'll have to make these hours up to me."

"Yeah, yeah, of course. Thanks again." And with that, Robin left. David, however, could have sworn he saw a smirk on Robin's face as he headed to collect his things from his desk.

Robin stood in front of the house he shared with Regina, holding a bouquet of wildflowers and takeout from Granny's. He rang the bell and waited for her to open the door.

"My, my, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Robin had to bite back his tongue at the vision that greeted his eyes once the door finally swung open. Regina stood in her house coat that couldn't exactly fasten all the way shut, revealing a black lace bra underneath, her rosy peaks erect at attention. Robin bit back a moan and felt himself harden just a little bit. It'd been a few weeks since they were intimate with each other and the anticipation was eating him alive, and her as well given the state of her breasts.

"Oh, thought I'd come home and check on my wife. I heard she wasn't feeling too well. Heard she was flushed with fever."

"Hmmm, that's why you brought food?"

"Yeah, starve a cold, feed a fever." Regina cocked her head to the side and a soft hmmm rumbled through her lips.

"Yes, I do believe I've heard that before. Do come in, if I don't eat soon I'll surely be over taken by this fever." Regina pulled the door open further, stepped to the side and allowed Robin to step inside the foyer. Regina shut the door and turned to find her husband standing in front of her still holding the flowers and food with a dopey grin on his face. She couldn't help herself from chuckling. She bit her lip, quickly approached him and pulled the objects from his hands, setting them on the hall table by the front door. Then she grabbed the lapels of his jacket and pulled him to her, as much as she could, and crashed their lips together. Their tongues were dancing on each other, fighting for dominance before they found a rhythm. Robin untied the belt that loosely held Regina's house coat together while she still held his head in her hands, nipping at his lips and cheek. She only broke contact to help him push the sleeves down. The robe fell from her body and pooled at her feet. Robin held her back so he could look at her.

"You're so beautiful."

"You'll say anything to get in my pants, won't you?" Robin stepped to his wife and enveloped her in another hug. He turned his head to nuzzle her neck, his mustache tickling just underneath the pulse point behind her ear. It sent a shiver down her body, a heat to an ache that was building in the lace panties she wore.

"Ah, but you see I didn't have to say anything for you aren't wearing any pants," he chuckled out against her ear. Regina slapped his arm and pushed him away. She stepped to Robin and began undressing him, working off his jacket and unbuttoning his shirt. Robin untucked the shirt and pulled it off his body, revealing the bullet proof vest he wore underneath. Regina paused her ministrations to finger the garment, a sudden sadness taking over her features. Robin studied her for a moment before grabbing her hand and stopping her roaming. This afternoon rendezvous was her idea. Who was he to say no at her suggestion? She was so excited confirming and reconfirming their plans. He wasn't sure what just killed the mood, but he was anxious to get it back, lest he spend an unusually long time in the shower another night this week. He brought her palm to his lips and laid a chaste kiss. She stared at their hands and intertwined them. Robin could see tears pooling in her eyes and he pulled her to him. Mood swings were par for the course, he supposed. "Hey, love, what's going on?" Regina sobbed into his shoulder.

"Oh, nothing. Just – " she trailed off.

"Just what?" He pulled her back to look at her.

"Thank you," she said as she leaned into him again, smelling his neck and kissing it ever so softly, he wasn't sure if those were her lips on his skin or a breath of a draft in the house.

"Thank me, for what?"

"For going out there every day risking your life, for us, for Henry and Roland and me and Squishy."

"Oh love, I don't think the streets of Storybrooke are particularly dangerous."

"Neither did Daniel," she sniffled. Robin couldn't argue with that and so he held his wife a little tighter. Finally he released her and pulled her back.

"Hey now, no more tears. I'm right here. This is real. I try to be careful everyday because I can not imagine not coming home to you and our family, okay?" Regina shook her head a little. "Okay? I can't hear you."

"Okay," she mumbled out.

"There, thatta girl. Now, where were we? Hmm? Do you remember?" Regina nodded her head as Robin pulled her close, wrapping her arms around his neck. He bent down to place a soft kiss on her lips. They teased each other for a few minutes before Robin's tongue begged for entrance to Regina's mouth and she accepted. He pulled Regina and eventually, somehow, worked her back to the front door, pinning her beneath him. Regina's hands drifted downward to unbuckle his belt and unbutton his pants. Robin shoved the clothing down until they got caught on his shoes. Robin broke the kiss. "Bloody hell." Regina brought a shy hand to her face to stifle a laugh. Robin bent down to take off his shoes and discard the rest of his clothing so all he was wearing were his boxer briefs. "There, that's better. Third times the charm, right?" Regina nodded and welcomed Robin back into her arms when they resumed their position against the door. Their kisses resumed, more heated and urgent for they didn't have much time before the boys arrived home and they wanted to ravish each other without the worries of scarring their children. Robin wanted to please his wife, wanted to hear her scream out his name as she reached her peak. Robin reached his hand down below Regina's protruding belly to rub her through her lace panties. He was a little surprised to find her slightly wet already. Regina moaned into his kisses. Robin rubbed faster, slipping his hand between her legs to press harder on her folds. Regina broke the kiss and braced her hangs against Robin's chest and he rubbed faster. She was getting worked up, panting heavily. Robin took his free hand to press Regina firmly into the door. He shoved her panties to the side so he could slip his bare hand inside and stroke her hot and heady flesh. Soon Regina was gasping for breath, her body shuddering against his hand as more fluid leaked from her heat.

"R-r-r-obinnnn." She managed out on a breath.

"That's it love. There's no one here but us, it's okay. Let go." And let go she did as she came on his hand. Catching her breath Regina pulled Robin to her.

"Thank you for that. Not quite how I imagined this to go."

"We have all afternoon for other things." Robin moved his head so their foreheads were touching. They stood like that for a few minutes before a low rumble interrupted their bliss.

"Do those other things include food? I think someone's hungry." Robin chuckled at his wife. Of course she was hungry. He parted from her, approaching the hall table, but she grasped his hand and pulled herself close to him like a shy bride on her wedding night.

"Shall we bold and take this upstairs? Eat in bed?" Regina nodded her head.

"You better not get crumbs in the sheets."

"Never."

Pissed off was one phrase to describe Emma Swan's current state. She was getting a little tired of Regina being ill. Sometimes Emma wished she and Mary – Margaret hadn't told Regina she was pregnant. They could've filmed a secret episode/story – arc of _I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant_ starring Regina and the surprise birth of the baby. Sure, that would mean Emma and Mary – Margaret would've only had nine months to live, plus maybe six weeks, if Regina took heed to post – partum instructions for Regina would certainly kill the both of them. David called Emma in two hours early to cover the gap left in the overlapping shifts because Robin had to go home and take care of Regina who left work early due to illness. Emma didn't know why David always called her in to cover overlapping shifts, Graham could always start his night rotation half a day early, it's not as if the guy had anything else to do in his life. He was a loner of sorts and she hardly ever saw him out and about around town. Maybe that could be her next mission: _Operation Huntsman_. Perhaps she could observe his life and then fix him up with someone, he looked like he needed someone. If Emma Swan could find someone to share her life with then certainly not all hope was lost on Graham.

Emma was rather grumpy when she showed up to work earlier and thusly David sent her out on patrol while he worked on paperwork instead of David going out for patrol and Emma working on paperwork. She was glad for the fresh air, riding with the windows down in her patrol car. Nothing ever really happened in Storybrooke so she wasn't too concerned with paying attention to the random people on the streets. It was after her third pass on her route that took her around the playground she noticed them. Two boys, the older one seated on the swing and the younger one standing beside him, rubbing his back. Emma squinted her eyes in the sunlight, thinking the pair seemed familiar to her. She parked her car and got out. The slamming of her car door interrupted the boys as the smaller one's head snapped up and shouted, "Emma!"

"Roland? Is that you?" A small bundle of energy in the form of Roland Hood came bounding across the playground and straight into Emma's legs. She paused at the impact as the little boy wrapped his arms around her legs in a hug. She slowly dropped her arms down to pat him on the back. He looked up at her with a toothy grin and those Hood dimples. "Roland, what are you doing here?"

"Henry's sad."

"He is?"

"Uh – huh," the boy shook his head up and down rather exaggeratedly. Emma managed to separate Roland from her legs and she grasped his hand as they walked over to the twelve – year old seated on the swing.

"Hey kid."

"Hey," Henry responded without looking up.

"Uh – oh, what's going on? Roland says you're sad?"

"Yeah."

"Well, want to talk about it?"

"Not really."

"I see," responded Emma as she sat down in the swing next to Henry, pulling Roland into her lap. "Do you parents know you're here?"

"No, we're supposed to go home after school, not the playground. We're gonna be in big trouble and it's all Henry's fault." Roland commented.

"Well, I don't think your parents will be too thrilled you didn't go home straight away, but I think it'll be fine."

"Henry says his mom is already upset with him." Emma leaned forward on the swing to try and look Henry in the eyes.

"Is that true Henry? Is that why you don't want to go home?" Henry stopped moving on the swing and looked up at Emma, startling her.

"Can you keep a secret?"

"Uh, yeah, of course I can." Emma responded.

"Roland, can you go back to the slides?"

"But I wanna hear the secret, I can keep a secret too, ya know."

"I already told you, you can't know the secret, now go!"

"Henry! That's not nice," Emma scolded.

"Sorry, I'm just, I really don't know what to do here, I came here to think. And that's kinda hard with a shadow," Henry said looking pointedly at Roland.

"Okay, okay," Emma tried to calm the two boys. She turned to Roland, "Roland, why you head over to the slides while I talk with Henry and if you're good, I'll take you for ice cream later, how does that sound?"

"Ohhhhkay," Roland relented with a heavy sigh. Emma nodded her head and watched as the young boy trudged reluctantly towards the slides. Then she stepped to the swing next Henry and sat down, allowing inertia to move her forward and back.

"Alright, now that your shadow's gone, wanna tell me what's up?"

"I don't know."

"Come on Henry, you know you can talk to me about anything."

"Yeah, but mom's gonna find out."

"How is she gonna find out? Is it something bad that might cause you harm? You know that's the only reason I would ever tell her anything we talk about, right?" She stopped swinging to take his face in her hand and looked him straight in the eye so he could know how serious she was. "Hey, I mean it kid. I know it's hard to talk to parents about things, I'm here for you anytime." Henry moved his head from her hand to look back down at his feet, resuming his motions on the swing and sighed. Emma sat back on her swing and moved back and forth, hoping to wait out Henry. After a few more silent minutes, Henry let out an audible sigh.

"I – " he began. "I got a C on my English paper."

"Okay," Emma responded, prompting Henry to continue. "I got C's on papers, heck even tests and I made it through school just fine."

"Well, mom was really excited for this paper and she thought I was working really hard on it."

"What did you do to give her that idea?"

"Staying up late, telling her I was working on it?"

"Mkay, why do I get the feeling that's not what you were really doing?" Another sigh from Henry.

"Because it wasn't?"

"Oh, I see. And what were you doing, staying up late at night, if it wasn't working on the paper?"

"You know all those comic books I got for Christmas?"

"Yeah," Emma said, nodding her head, seemingly putting two and two together. "Henry, did you stay up reading those?"

"Maybe."

"It was a yes or no question, please answer in kind."

"If I admit something to you it won't end well."

"You let me worry about your mom and I. So why can't you tell your mom about this paper?"

"I don't want her to be disappointed in me. I don't want her to take away all my comic books or put me under punishment and then I can't watch movies or tv at all."

"Well do you think that would be an appropriate punishment?"

"I don't know, I guess? Maybe?"

"Well, you really don't know what your mom might do. She may think the C is okay."

"You don't understand. She knows the type of grades I make. She's going to be so disappointed, especially since she thinks I worked so hard."

"Well maybe she'll cut you some slack if the best you could do was a C even though you gave the appearance you worked really hard."

"She's gonna find out I read comic books instead."

"How is she gonna do that?"

"She has her ways. Nothing gets past her, nothing."

"So why are you here? Why not just go home and get it all over with? You're working yourself up over nothing."

"It's not nothing! You don't know what she's capable of!"

"Henry, I may only have a few years of history with your mother, but I think I know her pretty well. You are her number priority. Everything she does is for you."

"But what about the baby? And Robin? And Roland? She's so preoccupied with them she failed to notice what I was really doing. Before them she would've figured out the first night I stayed up. She knows I stay up late reading comics and not doing school work. We always do our homework at the dining room table so she can watch us and 'make sure we stay on task'."

"Oh, I see. What if she already knows?"

"She doesn't."

"Yeah she does. And now I have the paper to prove it. The teacher's gonna call her to have a meeting. It's not like me, she said." Emma nodded her head and brought a hand to Henry's head, stroking it. He leaned into the touch and tears leaked through his eyes. The boy really was torn up inside, overly anxious of what might happen when his mother finds out. Emma was a little worried how Regina might react. Perhaps if she talked to Regina first it would soften the blow.

"Alright kid, let's go." Henry looked up at her, his vision blurry.

"What?" He sniffled out, wiping the back of his hand against his nose.

"I said, 'Let's go," There's no time like the present. Why prolong the inevitable?"

"I'm not ready."

"No one's ever ready until the moment has come," she turned her head, "Roland! Time to go home!" The little boy went down the slide one last time, hopping off the base and running over to the pair.

"Home? What about my ice – cream?"

"Damnit."

"Oooooo, I'm going to tell mama you said a bad word, Emma!" Emma stooped down in front of Roland.

"Now Roland, there's no need to tell your mama about that little slip up. I'm still going to take you to get ice – cream, just not right now, okay?"

"But why not? I wented to the slides like you asked."

"I know bud, but right now we need to help Henry, okay?"

"Ohhh kay," Roland sighed out. "Can we ride in you patrolin' car?"

"My patrolin' car?"

"Yeah! Dad goes riding on patrol in his car!"

"Ohhh, I see. Sure, we can ride in the patrolin' car."

Emma grabbed Roland's hand and they walked over to her car with Henry trudging behind.

Robin and Regina were on round three of their afternoon escapade, the time of day forgotten to the both of them. Their food had long been consumed and placed on their respective night stands. The sheets were a tangled mess surrounding them in their bliss. Robin hissed as Regina grasped his back tightly, digging her nails into his back as she stilled in her orgasm. Anxious to finish with his wife, Robin increased his pace until he too was spilling forth into Regina. He stilled himself, waiting to soften inside of her. He dropped kisses onto her lips, her cheeks, her forehead.

"My god, this is, this – "

"I know," Regina chuckled.

"What do you know exactly?"

"I know you, my love."

"Hmmm," she hummed out as she draped her arms around his neck and they nuzzled each other, basking in their afterglow. Robin lifted his hips and slide out of his wife. He moved to lay beside her, pulling her so she was nuzzled into his side. He pulled the comforter that had been shoved to the foot of the bed over them. They both let out a contented sigh. Regina's eyes began to feel a little heavy, her body exhausted. That was the most physically active she'd been in a while and she decided she would call up Mary – Margaret later to ask her to join in evening runs and prenatal yoga. Mary – Margaret could bring the boys over after school. The boys. Regina's eyes snapped open and she sat up in the bed, startling Robin.

"Regina, what's wrong?"

"The boys! What time is it?" Robin groaned and strained to look at the clock in his night stand.

"It's uh, 5:30."

"Shit!"

"What?! What's going on?"

"Damnit Robin," she said, slapping his thigh. "The boys were supposed to have been home an hour ago!"

"Oh."

"Don't just sit there! Something's happened to them!"

"Okay, okay, alright, hey let's just calm down for a moment, okay?"

"Calm down?! What if they're injured or at the hospital? What if they tried to call us? Our cell phones are down stairs!"

Just then the sound of their front door opening stopped Regina's antics.

"See? There they are."

"They are in so much trouble."

Henry had given Emma the keys to the house. He was hovering behind her, using her as a human shield. Emma opened the door and had a little bit of trouble shoving the door open. She peered around the door and her mouth fell agape at the sight of the discarded clothes trailing a pathway up the steps onto the first landing in the Mills – Hood home. She silently cursed under her breath. Robin and Regina had arranged an afternoon delight. She was going to hold this over their heads for a long time. Emma backed up, shoving Henry and Roland back out the door.

"Emma, what's going on?"

"Uh, nothing. Listen, I need you two to wait out here until I come back to get you, okay?" Both boys nodded their heads. She turned back to the door, took a deep breath and opened it again. She steeled herself as she walked back into the house. She didn't hear any noises downstairs, so she walked further into the house. She made it to the base of the stairs and said a silent prayer, thanking God that hopefully the two were upstairs and had finished whatever it was they were doing.

"Robin! Regina! If you're not done with whatever it is you're doing, finish it up so your children can come inside!" Emma shouted into the eerily quiet house.

"Holy fucking shit Robin! It's Emma!"

"Yes, dear I can hear as well."

"Well, just don't sit there!"

"Me? What about you?"

"It's going to take me a moment to get cleaned up here. Go get me a rag." Robin hurried into the ensuite bathroom and dampened a washcloth for Regina. "Uh, just a minute Emma, we'll be right down!" Regina shouted, hoping Emma would hear her. Robin returned to the bedroom wiping himself down and then handing the washcloth to Regina. She squeezed her eyes shut and muttered under her breath.

"What's going on?"

"I, we uh left our clothes downstairs." Robin ran a hand down his face.

"Right," he nodded.

"Don't just stand there! Here, put on your robe and go downstairs and get our clothes!"

"Right," Robin nodded again, throwing on his robe and heading downstairs.

"Emma! What a surprise!"

"Cut the shit Robin." Robin at least had the courtesy to look like he felt guilty. Emma wasn't sure if he was guilty for being caught in an embarrassing situation or guilty for getting caught. "Hurry up with whatever it is you're doing. I'm going upstairs to talk to Regina right quick. Maybe get the boys a snack or something? Keep them occupied til we come back down?"

"What do you need to talk to Regina about?"

"Don't worry about it."

"Well she's not exactly feeling ready to take visitors right now, she's feeling ill."

"Oh, I bet she's feeling ill. Feeling ill that I caught you two in a little afternoon delight," she whispered harshly, not knowing how much the boys could hear. Robin nodded his head, not offering anymore resistance. Emma stomped up the stairs, hoping Regina would hear and make herself presentable. She arrived in front of the bedroom door which was slightly ajar. Emma paused outside the door to consider if she wanted to risk walking in on a naked Regina or if she wanted to offer the woman a warning. She decided to knock – even if she was extremely pissed at Regina right now, she still wanted to respect the woman's right to privacy. She raised her fist to the door.

"Ms. Swan, you startled me!" Regina yelped as she swung the door open, clad in her robe.

"Huh, I could say the same for you." The two women stood in the door for a moment.

"Well, if I may, the boys are waiting for me."

"Uh – uh, nope, march it back into your room sister. You and I need to have a talk."

"Listen, if it's about Robin calling out to come check on me earlier, I'm all better now."

"Regina, dear, hunny, what kind of fool do you take me for, hmm? I saw your clothes, yours and Robin's strewn throughout the house in a trail that leads directly to your bedroom. What kind of illness is that?"

"We both were overcome with fever?" Regina responded with a shrug. Emma stared hard at Regina, threatening. "You wouldn't hurt a pregnant woman, would you?" Emma scoffed.

"Come on, go sit down, I have something important to talk to you about." Regina's face went from slightly freaked to one of deep concern. She pulled her bedroom door open a little wider and allowed Emma to enter. Regina walked towards her bed and motioned for Emma to sit. Emma chose to stand, shaking her head. "I know what went down in that bed. I'll stand." Regina nodded with a silent chuckle.

"So then, what is it you need to talk to me about?"

"It's about Henry."

"Henry? Is he okay, he's not hurt is he? He didn't do something wrong – is that why you brought him home?"

"No."

"Well what is it?"

"Would you let me finish?" Regina nodded her head. "Henry got a C on his English paper."

"Oh no, he did? That's unfortunate, I know he worked really hard on it."

"Yeah, well, not really."

"What?"

"Yeah, apparently all those nights he stayed up working on the paper, he was really reading comic books."

"Why – "

"He's pretty sure the teacher is going to call to discuss this with you because she feels it's out of character for Henry. Henry thinks you would've caught on sooner had you been paying more attention to him instead of Roland, Robin and the baby." Regina mouthed a silent 'oh'.

"Well, I have been distracted, but honestly, he is getting older, he knows what he needs to do. He gave the impression he was working really hard on his paper and I trusted him with the responsibility to work on his paper without me standing over him."

"That may be, but he's really upset you're going to punish him for getting a bad grade."

"I see. Well, he will be punished, but it won't be for getting a bad grade." Emma quirked her eye brows.

"Well, what else would you punish him for?"

"For lying. My trust was obviously misplaced. I gave him too much responsibility and now I shall have to take it away. Thank you for this little talk Ms. Swan." With that, Regina stood from the bed, with some difficulty thanks to her pregnant belly and headed for the door. Emma stood a moment before reacting.

"Well, what are you going to do?"

"Right now I'm going to see the boys. Make sure they're alright and then have a talk with Henry."

"Well, I was hoping you wouldn't be too harsh on him. That's why I came to talk to you first."

"I certainly hope you didn't get his hopes up, Ms. Swan. That would certainly put you in an awkward position."

"No, I didn't really say much, just that I would try to talk to you," they continued the conversation down the stairs where the muffled voices of Henry, Roland and Robin could be heard coming from the kitchen. Regina saw her and Robin's clothes piled on the back of the sofa in the den before she passed through the kitchen door to find all the boys at the table, eating an afternoon snack.

"Boys," Regina greeted with a tight smile. Roland's face lit up with a dimpled smile. Henry looked guiltily down at his plate of apple slices and almond butter. "Henry, join me in my office, please." Regina leaned down to place a kiss on Roland's cheek before turning to head back out of the kitchen towards her office on the main floor. Henry slowly climbed out of his chair, glancing at Emma, hoping for some sort of sign that things wouldn't be so bad. She mouthed a silent 'sorry' as he passed through the kitchen door.

Regina sat behind the desk in her office, arms folded in front of her. She wanted to be as objective as possible when discussing events with Henry. He would take her seriously if the discussion was held in her office. He entered the office and sat in the chair across from her desk.

"Now, Emma tells me you got a C on that English paper you told me you were staying up all night working on. Want to tell me about that?"

Henry swallowed hard. He wasn't sure what exactly Emma disclosed to his mother and was silently debating if he should omit some details or just tell her the entire story and hang himself out to dry.

"I'm waiting young man," Regina stated, hoping to hurry this affair along. She still needed to get started on dinner and they were behind their evening routine.

"Well, I tried working on my paper a lot and you were really encouraging and I didn't want to disappoint you."

"Uh – huh, you stayed up a lot of nights working on that paper."

"Yeah," he nodded his head.

"Well, if a C was the best you could do, then that's all I ask. That you do the best you can." Henry nodded his head. Did Emma not tell her about the late night comic reading sessions? He felt a little guilty that his mother seemed to still be proud of him for getting a C.

"Yeah, I guess the teacher thought a C was the best grade for all my hard work. I'm pretty bummed about it." Regina pursed her lips. That was never a good sign. Never.

"So, was the best you could do on this paper a C because instead of working on the paper late at night like you told me you were doing you were maybe, I don't know, reading comic books?" Henry mouthed a silent 'oh' and dropped his head. "Yes, I know about that. Emma says you think I would have caught on sooner had I not been so preoccupied with Roland, Robin and the baby. Is that true? Is that what you really think?" Henry just sat there looking at his mother. Perhaps if he didn't say anything, the conversation would be over soon enough and they could get to his punishment. "Henry, dear, you are getting older. And with age comes responsibility. I'm not upset about the C, I'm upset because I placed a lot of trust in you. I thought I could give you a little more responsibility because you're getting older. I now see that trust was misplaced." Henry sighed and nodded his head. "Do you understand what I am telling you?" Henry nodded his head. "I can't hear your head shake. Your head isn't empty, your brain isn't rolling around in there. Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you?"

"Yes ma'am." Henry finally responded.

"Good. Now, for your punishment, you will rewrite your paper, properly. You will wait at school until either Robin or I can retrieve you. You will no longer be allowed to walk home from school. You will go to your room and pack all your comic books away. No television, internet, or phone for two weeks unless needed for school. Once you reach home, you will work on your homework before retiring to your room and working on your paper. When you have satisfactorily complete your paper, to the best of _your_ ability, you will re submit your paper to the teacher. I will speak with her that she is to grade this new paper, but not as a replacement, just so that we can know what you are truly capable of when you actually apply yourself. You are capable of great things. It is my duty and _responsibility_ as your mother to help you and guide you. No one can do it alone; we all need a little help. Yes I spend more time with Roland, he needs it. I devote time to Robin because he is my husband. I devote time to the baby because it too will need my time and support and it is something I am responsible for. You are growing up, you will graduate from high school, go off to college, graduate, meet the person of your dreams and perhaps have a family of your own one day. I must let you go and do all those things, but I can't do that unless I am certain you have the tools you need to function in life. The only way to do that is to give you more responsibility little by little and giving you room to explore your new responsibilities. However, I will not hesitate to take them away until we can try again. I want you to be a functioning adult. Do I make myself clear?" Regina finally finished her speech and Henry truly did feel he understood what his mother was trying to say.

"Yeah, I get it."

"Good," Regina stood from behind the desk and walked towards the front to stand in front of Henry. She leaned over to grasp his chin in her hand, staring deeply into his eyes, tears in her own. "I want you to know I love you, so very much. I can not imagine my life without you. I wouldn't be able to rest easy at night knowing I failed you in come capacity. I know you may think otherwise, but everything I do for you is because I love you and only want the best for you. If we need a little more mother – son time so that you know you're still pretty much my number one, then what's we'll do." A smile slowly crossed Henry's lips. "Is that something you want?"

He nodded his head, "Yes."

"Alright, once your two week punishment is over we'll discuss things you and I can do, just the two of us."

"Two weeks? Is that how long I have to be without my comic books?"

"Hmm, no, two weeks is how long you have to write your paper. You can only have your comic books back once I feel I can trust you to do what you're supposed to do without me standing over you. And I'm sorry dear, but as you get older you'll find that trust is easily given, but once broken, it is one of the most difficult things to regain." Henry nodded in understanding. Regina reached forward and pulled her son into a hug. She stroked his head and back, tears rolling down her cheeks. One of her biggest fears was failing Henry as a parent. When she was pregnant with Henry it was a most unrelenting fear, sending her into anxiety and panic attacks. Daniel was always there by her side, promising that he would be with her every step of the way, assuring her that as long as they worked together their kid would turn out alright. Now that Daniel was gone, a lot of time was spent wondering if she was doing the right thing. Regina found a long time ago that one could read all the parenting books in the world, but kids weren't an exact science. She could only hope and pray that she wasn't screwing Henry up entirely. That she was doing the right thing by Henry, Roland and the unborn child growing inside her.


	28. Ante Up

New Chapter! Enjoy!

* * *

Regina stared at the calendar on the wall in her kitchen. There were little Xs marked off in the corner of each day and today was circled in a large circle. She was in her twenty – fifth week of pregnancy and today was a very important day. Today she and Robin were going to find out what they were having, a baby yes, but a boy or a girl. She wasn't sure what she wanted. She and Robin discussed it every now and then, which gender they would prefer, but Regina would tense every time Robin brought up having a daddy's girl. A part of her heart broke every single time, aching for the child she lost all those years ago. She had a gut feeling that child was the little girl Daniel too longed for as a daddy's girl. Sitting at the counter, she stirred her coffee absentmindedly as heavy footsteps approached the kitchen. A swish of the swinging doors to the kitchen garnered her attention. Her sweet adorable husband stood with his hands outstretched to the side, presenting his outfit.

"So, whadya think?" Regina chuckled out loud. She stared at her husband with a wide grin.

"I think you look…ridiculous." She laughed some more. Robin lightly laughed with her.

"Really?"

"Mmmhmm," she nodded her head, sliding off the bar stool. She walked towards her husband and peppered a few light kisses on his cheeks. Regina headed to the sink and dumped out her coffee. Robin followed close behind her.

"Why do I look ridiculous?"

"You're wearing a purple shirt! That says 'Here's to Daddy's Girl'.

"For good luck."

"You really want a girl?"

"Yeah!"

"You're going to keep her under lock and key until we die, aren't you?"

"Well, I must protect her honor."

"And what kind of life would that be for her, for us? Hmm? Hardly seems fair."

"We'll be all she ever needs."

"Right. Are the boys ready to head out?"

"Yep, all dressed, they should be down shortly."

"Good. We can drop them off at school and then head over for the appointment."

"They're going to be really sad they don't get to go."

"Tough luck," she whispered out, laying a hand on Robin's chest before standing on her tip toes to kiss his lips. Just then two boys burst through the kitchen door, skidding to a stop before their parents. Robin and Regina turned to look at their children. It was an intense stare off for a few moments before either party spoke.

"Mama?"

"Nope."

"But mo – om."

"No, Henry. You have to go to school."

"You don't even know what we were going to ask!" Regina hummed and gestured for Henry to ask his question. "Can you come by school and tell us what it is when you get done?" Regina smiled slightly, she had to give him credit. She ruffled his hair and he smoothed his hair back down.

"I'm sorry, Robin and I have to go to work after the appointment. You can find out when we all get home, tonight, okay?" Both boys let a sigh and turned to head out the kitchen. "Hey, are you guys going to eat something?"

"No, thanks," Henry mumbled out. Regina walked to the other side of the counter and opened each boys' lunch sacks and tossed in a banana. She picked up the sacks and she and Robin headed towards the front door. Robin guided his wife down the walkway with a hand on her back to her Mercedes. Her two – door Mercedes. Maybe they could blow off work and go car shopping instead. It shouldn't take too long and David let Robin have the entire morning off for the appointment. Robin helped Regina settle in the low seated car, shut the door and walked around to the driver's side. Regina turned around and handed the boys their lunch sacs.

"Here ya go, almost forgot these. I put a banana in there in case you guys get hungry on the way to school." Henry reluctantly took the sac out of his mother's hands, while Roland snatched the bag, practically ripped it open and immediately started peeling the banana. He chewed rather loudly and finished off the banana off as the family pulled up to Storybrooke Elementary School. Robin put the car in park, hopped out the car and leaned the driver's seat forward so Roland could climb out. Regina tried to turn around in her seat so she could Roland good bye before he exited, but her belly wouldn't exactly accommodate her. Robin looked up at his wife and chuckled.

"Hey Ro, why don't you go around to the other side and give Regina a hug good bye, hmm?" He nodded his head and partially ran, partially skipped around to the other side of the car. Regina opened the door and leaned over as much as she could while Roland stood on his toes to reach his arms around her neck. She could hear Henry's exasperate sigh in the back seat as slid across to exit out on Robin's side of the car. As she was finishing her hug with Roland, she craned her neck towards Henry.

"Henry, don't you want us to drop you off?"

"Uh, no, thanks. I'll walk." He hopped out the car and started towards the middle school, not even offering either parent a good bye. Roland ran off towards the building, Robin returned his seat to its proper position and climbed back in the car. Regina turned her body so she was seated forward again and shut her door. She stared hard through the windshield for a few moments before Robin reached out and grabbed her hand. She looked up at him and returned her gaze to the scene of children being escorted by parents to the building. She squeezed his hand a little tighter and Robin drove off towards the doctor's office. They weren't going to let a moody pre – teen ruin their excitement.

* * *

It was ten minutes from the school to the doctor's office and Regina could scarcely contain herself. Robin parked the car and quickly hurried to the other side to assist Regina in exiting the vehicle. They were both rather anxious because at their last appointment the baby wasn't in a good position to be able to tell the gender. They sat in the waiting room, updating paperwork and Regina nervously fiddling with her hair. Robin tried massaging her scalp, running his fingers through her shoulder length hair. He loved the length. He leaned forward to whisper in her ear.

"Have I told you I love that you've let your hair grow out?" Regina rolled her eyes and smacked his hands away.

"Hmm, let me think" she responded just as the door to the back exam rooms opened.

"Regina Mills?"

"Uh, Hood! It's Regina Mills – Hood." Robin called out as he stood and then offered his hands to Regina so she could pull herself out of the chair. They followed the nurse down the hallway. The nurse had Regina step into a small area and gave her a container to collect a urine sample. Regina took off her coat and handed everything to Robin to hold.

"Is this why you really brought me here? To hold all your stuff?" Regina smacked him in the chest.

"Careful or this will be the last appointment you're invited to." She slipped into the restroom and Robin and the nurse stood awkwardly outside the door. A few minutes passed and Robin felt a little anxious. He knocked on the door.

"Regina, love, are you alright in there?" A silent pause before he could hear the lock on the door click and the handle dip down. The door flung open to reveal a flushed Regina.

"Sorry, it's a little bit hard to hold the stupid container underneath you with a belly in the way."

"That's alright, if you please could you step on the scale so we can get your weight?" Regina bit down on her lip. She kept meaning to go for evening walks with Mary – Margaret to help control her weight gain. She was a little bit worried what the scale might reveal.

"Robin, could you wait over there, please?"

"Wha? Why?"

"Because I don't want you to see how much weight I've gained."

"Honestly woman? Really? You're carrying our child, you're supposed to gain weight! And you look absolutely wonderful."

"You say that, but I still don't want you to see, now go!" Regina said forcefully as she shoved Robin back towards the hallway. The nurse helped Regina onto the scale and took her weight, then helped her back down off the scale.

"Alright, if you'll follow me this way we'll get you into an exam room and after you've settled down, I'll take your blood pressure and pulse, okay?" Regina nodded her head and followed the nurse down the hall as requested.

Once they were in the room, the nurse handed Regina an examination gown and promised to return in a few minutes, giving her a chance to change. Robin helped Regina out of her remaining clothes in silence.

"So," he began, hoping to break the tension that settled over them. They were both worked up over finding out what they were going to have and the closer they got to seeing the doctor, the longer it seemed for time to move. A knock on the door interrupted them.

"Hey guys. How are you doing?"

"Fine, a little anxious."

"I understand. Well, why don't you have a seat and we'll get started, hm?" Regina nodded her head and Robin helped her onto the exam table. She reclined onto her back while the doctor washed up. The doctor poked around Regina's protruding stomach, taking a few measurements. She sat back down to review her chart and made a few faces that had Regina a little worried.

"Is uh, is everything okay?"

"Hmmm? Yeah, you're measuring kind of small, I was just checking your weight."

"My weight? I already feel like a whale!" The doctor chuckled.

"I know, I know, but I'd like you to put on at least five more pounds by the next time I see you, okay?" Regina nodded her head. Robin sat quietly in the corner. "Alright, do the parents have any other questions for me?" Robin stood up to stand beside his wife.

"Well, we were wondering, if you had the time, if we could try again to see the sex of the baby. It wasn't in a good position last time."

"Oh, that's right! I'll see if we can't get you in the back. I'll be right back." Robin squeezed Regina's leg as the doctor exited the exam room. After what seemed an eternity to the couple the doctor returned. "I'm sorry guys, the schedule is a bit packed." Robin and Regina sighed, looked dejected. "Why don't you check with the receptionist and see if she can get you scheduled for a separate ultrasound? Otherwise I'll see you next month, okay? You can go ahead and get dressed now." The doctor left the room and the expectant parents turned to look at each other. Robin watched Regina carefully, her face shifting from the look of almost bursting into tears to anger. He tried to pull her into a tight hug, but her rigid body language told him she was having none of that.

"Come on Gina, let's go." Regina turned her face to look at her husband, her jaw set.

"I am not leaving until we get to see our baby."

"I don't think we're going to be able to do that today, you heard her."

"But this isn't fair! We had to wait another month! Why couldn't your kid be more cooperative?!" Robin scoffed.

"My kid?"

"Yes, it clearly doesn't know how to follow orders."

"Regina, it's a fetus, it's kinda just hangin' out in there. And I think its stubborn behavior for not listening clearly comes from you." Regina rolled her eyes. Robin grasped her by the shoulders. "Hey love, I'm just as disappointed as you are. Why don't we do what the doctor suggested and just make an extra appointment with the ultrasound tech, okay?" She nodded her head. "Okay?" She nodded her head more fervently and this time allowed Robin to pull her into a tight embrace. He helped her out of the gown and handed her clothes. He waited patiently while she finished getting dressed and escorted her to the front of the building so they could make their appointment.

"Hi, Mrs. Hood? Mr. Hood." The cheery receptionist greeted the couple.

"It's Mills – Hood."

"Oh, right sorry, Mrs. Mills – Hood. Ready to set up your next appointment?" The couple nodded their heads.

"Alright, Dr. Campbell wants to see you in a month, how does Thursday April 9th sound?"

"That sounds so far away."

"I know, but does that work for you?"

"Yeah. Um, we were also wondering if we could just schedule an appointment with the ultrasound tech? The baby wasn't in a good position to find out the sex and Dr. Campbell wasn't able to squeeze us in today."

"Oh, um yeah sure, let me check the schedule, okay?" The couple nodded their heads in unison. Regina reached for Robin's hand while the receptionist checked the schedule. "Alright, looks like Miranda might have open appointments on Wednesday."

"Wednesday as in next Wednesday?"

"Uh – huh."

"She can't fit us in any sooner?"

"No, sorry. Do you want the appointment?" Regina let out a sigh, looking at her husband.

"We were so close."

"I know Gina, I know." Regina turned back to the receptionist.

"Yeah, we'll take it."

"Alright, Wednesday March 19th at 1 PM. Seeya then?" The receptionist handed Robin the appointment card and he followed his wife back outside. She walked briskly to the car and gave a forceful tug on the door handle, forgetting that Robin had the keys.

"Robin, open the door."

"Hey hey now, are you okay?"

"Does it look like I'm okay?! We were supposed to find out the sex of our baby today! I wanted to be able to buy gender specific clothes and decorations for the nursery."

"Well we've already got loads of clothes for the baby. And anyway it's just going to be lying around in onesies, spitting up and pooping and sleeping. It won't need cute clothes for a long time. And it won't be able to play with toys and it won't care about the decorations we have. It will only care that we love it and feed it and make sure it's clean. Now, no more tears." Regina nodded her head, opening her mouth to protest. Robin brought a finger to her lips. "Nope, not another word. Now, Dr. Campbell said you needed to gain more weight. Why don't we grab something to eat at Granny's before I drop you off at work, hmm?" Regina nodded her head and Robin helped her into the car and they drove off to Granny's.

* * *

It was around nine thirty in the morning when the Mills – Hood couple arrived at Granny's. Robin opened the door for his wife and once she stepped inside, all activity ceased. Robin quickly stepped inside behind his wife and bumped into her back.

"Regina, what's going on?"

"I'm not quite sure, let's ask the Swan, shall we?" Robin nodded his head and extended his arm, indicating Regina to lead the way.

"Uh, Robin, Regina! Fancy seeing you guys here."

"Indeed, what's going on here?"

"I asked you a question first."

"Don't try to redirect, it was all business a few moments before we walked in here, and now it's all silent, what's going on?"

"Oh, you might as well tell her Emma."

"Leroy, be quiet."

"Tell me what?"

"Just tell her what's going on, you know you can't keep secrets around her."

"Oh? Keeping secrets are we?"

"Oh, now Regina, you know Leroy, he likes to spread gossip. Nothing's going on here. Why don't we go sit down? Order up some breakfast? What are you eating nowadays? Pimento cheese and regular salted potato chips still?" Emma grabbed Regina by the arm and led her over to a booth. Emma sat down and motioned for Regina and Robin to sit. Robin stood patiently, waiting for Regina to take her seat.

"Oh Emma, I'm not sure I can fit into the booth."

"Relax, here, I'll pull the table closer to me and I'm sure you'll be able to fit." Regina rolled her eyes while Emma sat and pulled the table closer to her. Robin helped Regina sit down. Regina stood back up.

"Something wrong?"

"I was just thinking,"

"Thinking is a clear sign of life." Emma quipped. Regina cut her eyes at Emma.

"As I was saying, I was just thinking maybe I should sit on the end in case I need to get up and head to the restroom. Squishy is really into gymnastics nowadays." Emma's eyes went wide.

"Squishy? Not baby Emma or baby Rupert?"

"Baby Emma or baby Rupert? Emma what are you on? Should Robin take you to the hospital for a drug screen?"

"Uh, it's just, I thought you were finding out the gender of the baby today." Regina's face deepened into a scowl.

"Well, they couldn't do it today."

"Really?"

"Yeah, we came here to take Regina's mind off of it."

"Oh, well I think I'm changing my vote to girl." Emma blurted out before slapping a hand over her mouth.

"Your vote? To a girl? What are you on about Swan?" Regina eyed the woman.

"Uh, um, nothing." Regina stared hard at Emma. Emma was known for cracking under Regina's hard stares.

"Emma."

"Regina." She responded, not looking at the woman in eye.

"Emma, look at me." Emma sat for a moment before her gaze eventually drifted up to meet Regina's gaze. "Great, now that I've got your attention, what are you voting on?"

"Oh, relax sister, it's just a friendly pot on the gender of that thing you got growing." Leroy chimed in from his regular table top seat. Regina craned her head into his direction before approaching him.

"A pot?"

"Yeah, we've got a nice one going. Care to join?" Leroy asked as he took a bite of his bacon. Regina turned her head back in Emma's direction to see her motioning with her hands for Leroy to stop talking.

"Swan, you better explain everything right now," Regina glowered at Emma as she reapproached the table.

"Uh, well you see, we were discussing what we thought you were having after your first gender reveal appointment didn't go exactly as planned and then we thought it would be cool to see if we could guess the gender."

"For a small nominal fee? Making money off of my unborn child?"

"No, no one's making money."

"There is a pot, someone will receive money."

Emma let out a sigh, her eyes narrowing at Robin. She let out another huff and stood from the booth. She grabbed Robin by the arm and mumbled something in his ear.

"Uh, Regina, Emma here needs to speak to me in private. It's a work thing."

"Uh huh, sure it is. I'm going to order some food. And I'm not ordering for you and don't expect to eat off my plate. I _will_ kill you."

"Yes ma'am. Hey Granny! A cheesey bacon cheeseburger and fries for me!" Regina's mouth popped open at Robin's nerve to usurp her punishing him. She stalked over to the counter where Granny was standing, writing on her scratch pad.

"Granny, if you even think of making that for him I swear – " Granny leaned onto the counter and stared at Regina. She wasn't afraid of Regina's empty threats.

"You swear what? You and I both know you're all bark, no bite. Do you want breakfast food or a cheeseburger as well?" Regina's mouth snapped back shut.

"Um, whatever is the quickest to prepare. I'm really hungry."

"Okay, how about a short stack and bacon?"

"And maybe a fried egg or two."

"Hard."

"Medium."

"Hard. Pregnant women can't eat raw eggs." Regina rolled her eyes.

"So, you really don't know what you're having?" Regina scoffed.

"Really? You too? Is everyone in on this?"

"Hey, it's a small town, we need some form of entertainment. Your mom's not here to periodically start trouble." Regina winced. It was true, both her parents passed within the past few years and it made Regina realize how alone she was when it came to family, except for her sister who lived in Kansas. Granny's face softened and she reached a hand forward, placing it on Regina's. "I'm sorry."

"Oh, it's alright. The first go 'round I had them to help me with Henry."

"Well girl, you know how much we all love you – a lot better than you mother. You know if you need anything at all, midnight cravings, babysitting for an hour or so while you take a nap – I'll get Ruby to do it." Granny finished out with a chuckle. "Now, let me get started on this food. I can hear your stomach rumbling. Did you feed that baby this morning? Am I going to have to start sending food?" Regina let out a small chuckle.

"No, Granny. I manage just fine. Thanks. I'm gonna sit down and wait for my short stack. And you don't have to bring all the food out at the same time. If my order gets finished before that traitor I have for a husband, please bring it to me."

"Of course. And just so you know, I wouldn't be too harsh on Emma. Her heart's in the right place."

"Really now?"

"Yes, just be patient." Regina nodded her head and headed back to the booth, which she found she could still fit in without having to move the table. She sat there for a few minutes before Emma and Robin eventually found themselves back at the table.

"Enjoy your little private chat about work stuff?" Both Emma and Robin sat down at the booth. Robin grasped Emma's hand.

"Yep. And I also talked to her about placing bets on our child."

"And what did you tell her?"

"I uh,"

"He told me it wasn't a nice thing to do. It's kinda too late to cancel it though, so just go with it, will ya?"

"I don't believe what you're trying to tell me, but Granny advised me to be patient with you, so I'm going to try."

"Well that's a surprise."

"Watch it, Ms. Swan." Emma held up her hands in defeat.

"Sorry, sorry." Granny approached the table carrying two plates, one with Regina's shortstack and the other with her eggs and bacon.

"Here ya go, eat up. Robin make sure she's eating – I could hear her stomach rumbling."

"Don't worry, we go to the store two times a week to keep enough food stocked." Regina scowled at Robin and pulled her plates closer to her so she could start eating. In between bites she attempted conversation.

"So, what's the pot looking like?"

"Seriously, you wanna know?"

"Well I kinda don't really have a choice in the matter, do I?"

"I suppose not. Out of nineteen people we – "

"Nineteen? Nineteen people are that interested in my uterus?" Regina asked incredulously.

"As I was saying, out of nineteen people eleven are voting boy, eight are voting girl."

"And what's the price per vote?" Emma looked down at her hands. "Emma. What. Is. The. Price." Emma mumbled. "I'm sorry, I don't think I heard you."

"I said $20."

"Twe - ?! Are you mad?"

"Hey Regina, remember how you were telling us Granny told you to be patient with Emma?"

"That, that's different!" She responded to her husband.

"I know right now you this seems weird, but will you trust me on this? Just let Emma have this, okay?"

"And how much are you getting from each vote?"

"Oh, um $5?"

"See, you are making a profit!"

"Hey, look at the time! Granny, is my order up?!" Granny tilted her head down to peer over her glasses. Emma had already eaten and came into the diner to collect money from Granny for Regina's gift. She pulled the lid off her pastry display and bagged two bear claws for Emma and poured her up a coffee.

"Yep, already to go!"

"Sorry Regina, I'd love to finish this conversation, but I gotta get back to Killian. We have so little time together." Emma slide out of the booth, practically sprinting to pick up her order from Granny and heading out the door, giving a tentative wave at the couple. Robin's face spread with a wide grin. Regina leaned forward.

"If you don't wipe that smirk off your face you'll be renting a room here at Granny's for the next few days." Robin immediately stopped smiling and sat back in the booth. He began shaking his head. "What?"

"Nothing, just wondering what I am going to do with you for the rest of our lives." Granny plopped Robin's order in front of him. Regina and Robin finished their meal in silence. Robin tossed a twenty dollar bill on the table and escorted his wife out the diner. They drove to the publishing company in silence, save for a peck on the lips and an I'll be back promptly at four o' clock in the afternoon, no earlier, no later from Robin. Regina exited the car and stalked off to her building. Robin shook his head – his wife was going to feel like a complete ass for her behavior today and he couldn't decide if he was supposed to be excited or be afraid for her reaction once she found out Emma's secret.

* * *

I know it's been a while since I've updated. I have to do research about this stuff and I need to be better about going to bed in a timely manner since I wake up so early for work. Please R & R!


	29. Best Laid Plans

Seriously, what the heck Adam and Eddy! Viva OutlawQueen in fanfic!

Updating this chapteras it was the wee hours in the morning when I finished and posted it. I reread through it and found some errors, so here are corrections.

* * *

The slow approaching steps into the kitchen pricked the hairs on the back of her neck. She busied around the kitchen making note of items they were running low on. She pretended not to hear the swinging door to the kitchen open and one of the bar stools being pulled out ever so quietly. She made her way over to the snacks cabinet and pulled it open. She hummed lightly to herself until finally the owner of the footsteps cleared his throat.

"Oh, hi dear, I didn't notice you." The young pre – teen rolled his eyes.

"Oh come on mom, you've got the ears of a dog."

"Did you just call me a dog?"

"Uh, no I would never do such a thing."

"Pretty sure you just called me a dog. Whatever it is you're planning, the answer is no."

"Come on! You haven't even heard me out!" Regina shut the cabinet and walked over to the side of the high top table with the sink and leaned forward on her elbows, resting her head in her hands.

"Alright, talk."

"Okay, well I was thinking maybe you and Robin would like a night out or in, without us kids."

"Uh huh, you thought of that all by yourself?" Henry shook his head.

"You're not a dog, you know how to speak in English. I can't hear your head rattling."

"Yes, I thought of this all by myself." Regina pursed her lips; she didn't quite believe what her son was telling her.

"Okay, since you thought of this all by yourself, have you found yourself a babysitter already?"

"Maybe."

"Uh huh, and who did you find?"

"Maybe if we give Emma a call she would love to take us to the movies."

"The movies? To see what?"

"Zootopia!"

"Zootopia? What's that about?"

"In a city of anthropomorphic animals a rookie bunny cop and a cynical con artist fox must work together to uncover a conspiracy," responded Henry.

"Is that appropriate for Roland to see?"

"Yep! It's a cartoon." Regina narrowed her eyes at Henry, considering her son for a moment. Henry sucked in a hard breath. She knew he was planning something, but she wasn't quite sure how she could possibly bust him.

" _You_ want to see a cartoon movie? With Roland?" Henry nodded his head. "Why do I get the feeling you're not being completely honest with me?" Henry leaned forward on the counter top to stare into his mother's eyes.

"Come _on_ mom! We just wanna go to the movies without parents around. Maybe we want the large soda, the popcorn _and_ the candy." Regina smirked, quirked up an eyebrow. His negotiation skills were approaching Regina level. She had to resist the big smile that threatened to spread across her face.

"Oh, so if I let you go with Emma she buys all these things for you? Even though she knows she's not supposed to?"

"What she does with her money is none of my concern. If she wants to buy us all that junkfood, who are we to say no?" Regina had to laugh at that one. She leaned back and threw her hands up in defeat.

"Alright, alright, let me talk to Robin and see if this works for him."

"Why wouldn't it? We weren't going to do anything fun tonight anyways."

"Having dinner with us and playing board games _is_ fun!"

"Seriously mom? Maybe when I was five – so there's still some hope for Roland to think that's fun, but once we go to the movies, he's under my power! Ha ha ha ha!" Henry let out an evil laugh that caused Regina to chuckle more at her son's antics. She shook her head and pulled the kitchen phone off the wall so she could call Robin to see if he wouldn't mind the change in plans. After a few moments she hung up the receiver and approached Henry.

"Alright, he thinks that's something we can work out. Now, let me call Emma and sort out the particulars." Henry hopped off the bar stool and sprinted towards the wall phone, slapping his hand over it, preventing his mother from picking the phone back up.

"Henry! What has gotten into you?!" Regina admonished the pre – teen.

"Oh, uh, sorry. I just uh, wanted to show you how responsible I was. Let me call Emma for you and tell her you said it was okay. I mean, I did already talk to her about all of this." Regina reluctantly dropped her hand from the phone and nodded her head, indicating it was alright for Henry to call Emma. Regina took a few steps back and watched as her son picked up the phone and dialed the blonde woman's number.

"Heeey Emma," Henry dragged out her name.

There was silence on the line.

"I talked to mom, she said it was okay for you to take us to the movies tonight."

Henry nodded his head up and down, hmmming a few times.

"Yeah, maybe we should go see the 6:30 show so we don't have Roland out too late."

Henry chuckled a little bit.

"Don't worry about that Emma, I'm sure Robin can drop us off since you're not sure you can pick us up _and_ get us to the movies on time. We'll meet you there! Can't wait!" And with that he hung up the phone. He turned to see his mother staring at him.

"She didn't want to talk to me?"

"Um, nope, didn't mention it at all. Robin should be able to drop us off, right? Wouldn't want to drag you out of the house."

"I'm sure if you ask him nicely. Are you going to eat here with us at least?"

"You know, I think it'll be cutting it really close to the movie start time by the time you finish cooking seeing as you haven't started on dinner yet. I'm sure Emma wouldn't mind taking us to Granny's afterwards."

"Alright, I suppose this is okay."

"Can we have some extra money?"

"Yeah, let me grab my purse." Henry gave his mother a big hug to show his gratitude before bounding out towards the den where Roland was playing.

"Did it work Henry?"

"Shhh! Not so loud! Yes, mom's gonna give us some money and your dad's gonna drop us off."

"Yay! We get to see Captain America!"

"But remember, mom thinks we're going to see Zootopia."

"She does?"

"Yeah, you're not old enough to see Captain America."

"But why are we going to see it?"

"Well, I want to see it but I don't think mom will let me. But she'll let you see Zootopia. Especially if Emma takes us."

"Emma's going too?" Henry sighed and rubbed his hand down his face. Sometimes Roland was smart. Now was not one of those times. Henry worked real hard to put Operation America Fake Out into play and Roland could possibly be his undoing.

* * *

It was around five thirty in the evening when Robin came strolling through the door. He took off his boots at the front door and tossed them in the closet. He took off his shirt and vest underneath so all he wore was his undershirt and workpants. He could hear soft sounds of the television coming from the den area and a clash of legos echoing through the hall. Robin climbed the steps of the foyer and poked his head around the corner.

"Hey boys," he called out to Henry and Roland. Roland looked up from his seated position on the floor and grinned, showing those dimples Regina loved so much. She loved them so much so she would wonder late at night when she couldn't sleep if their child would have those same dimples. Robin would scoff, telling her he hoped not because it would make fighting off the boys all the more difficult. She'd chuckle and ask him what made him so sure their baby was a girl and that maybe she would have to fight off all the girls for their son, which she was pretty sure she was going to have to do for Roland in any case.

Roland popped off the floor and ran to his father, hugging him close around his legs for that was as high as the boy could reach.

"Daddy! You're home! Are you ready to take us to the movies?" Roland asked as he pulled back a little to look at his father in the eye. Robin reached down and ruffled the curly – topped five year old.

"Well, I think Regina said your movie doesn't start until six thirty, so let me get settled a little bit, go say hi to Regina and change out of my work clothes, hmm? I'll make sure to get you there on time." Roland let go of his father's legs and dropped his head, mumbling.

"But, Regina's not here," he whined. Robin looked around den area and listening out for any telltale signs of his wife and found he hadn't heard her bustling around like she usually does when he enters the house after work.

"Ahhh, I see. Where has she gone off too?"

"She went grocery shopping. Said we were out of some stuff," Henry volunteered from his seat on the sofa, entranced in the video game he was playing.

"We're out of some stuff? Is that what she said?" Robin asked as he approached the back of the sofa. Henry nodded his head.

"Yep, something about needing more chocolate ice cream and chocolate sauce and since she needed to replenish that she might as well get the grocery shopping done now instead of waiting until Sunday," Henry prattled on.

"Oh, I see. And she didn't take you boys with her?"

"No, she wasn't sure how long she'd be at the store. She didn't want us to miss our movie. She said we could wait here for you and you could take us to the movies if she couldn't make it back here in time."

"Well what are we supposed to do about getting you dinner?" Robin was used to their Friday night routine. As soon as he would walk in the door he would find the boys setting up board games and the sounds of Regina bustling around the kitchen, usually putting the finishing touches on dinner. Tonight, however, the sounds from the kitchen were missing and it was approaching dinnertime. Robin's cooking skills were nowhere near on par with Regina's, but he supposed he could prepare them sandwiches and chips.

"Don't worry about it, we're gonna grab some snacks at the movies and go to Granny's afterwards." Robin folded his arms across his chest.

"Your mother agreed to this?" Henry craned his head around to look at Robin while waiting for the next level of his game to load. With as serious a face he could muster, Henry responded to Robin,

"I know, I was surprised too! I blame Squishy, he makes her totally lax about stuff. Although, I should probably thank him! I'll be sure to thank him properly when he arrives." And then he returned his attention to his video game. Robin shook his head, dropped his hands down to his sides and made for the stairs to finish his evening routine of dressing down. He heard the garage open and made a detour towards the kitchen. He heard the car door slam and a click of heels. The door in the kitchen that led to the garage creaked open and the sweetest voice he's ever heard called out,

"Boys! Come help me carry in the groceries!" Regina hadn't even noticed her husband's presence. He quickly approached the door and pulled it open, startling his beautiful wife, for she was certainly glowing, getting more beautiful each day her pregnancy progressed. She gasped loudly, bringing a hand to her chest. She reached out and swatted his arm.

"Robin!" she admonished, "don't scare me like that! Do you want me to have a heart attack and die?" Robin chuckled and brought his arms around his wife, hugging her tight to him as much as he could with her belly. They stood close together for a few moments, him dropping a kiss to her cheek before letting go and grasping one of her hands as he squatted low so that he was face to face with her belly. He rubbed it softly before speaking to it.

"Hey there little fellow. Did you have a good day? Were you good to mommy today? Didn't give her an upset stomach or heartburn again, did you? I hear you really like playing trampoline in there. Go easy on your mom." Regina carded her free hand through Robin's sandy blond hair, chuckling silently. This was their new evening routine and as sappy as it seemed it always brought a smile to her face, no matter how her day had gone.

The pitter patter of feet approaching the kitchen broke their moment and they both looked up towards the swinging kitchen door to find a pre – teen and a five year old.

"Good grief guys, this again?" Henry moaned out at his parents.

"Oh Henry, your father used to do this too," Regina responded, getting a little misty – eyed at her son's softening features.

"Come on Roland, why don't we help Regina with the groceries," Robin suggested, sensing Regina and Henry needed a moment alone together. Ever since Regina told Robin about the little ritual she and Henry had visiting Daniel's grave on the anniversary of his death, he's made sure Regina feels comfortable talking more openly about Daniel and their relationship and telling Henry about all the little things Daniel did for her and for Henry. Robin wanted it clear that he was not a replacement father even though Henry truly had no memories of life with Daniel.

Regina reluctantly let Robin's hand go as he stretched his hand out to take Roland's and escort him out to the garage to retrieve the groceries. Henry stepped towards his mother whose arms were open for a hug. He let her wrap her arms around him and hugged her close. He gazed up into her eyes, seeing them glassed over with tears threatening to fall. Speaking about Daniel almost always brought tears to her eyes and pregnancy, well it just made everything more emotional for her. Robin convinced her to go to therapy sessions with Archie, something she was more amenable to now that she had the support of Henry and Robin and even little Roland. Once the sessions got underway she was pleasantly surprised how much she enjoyed going to the sessions and everyone commented how much more pleasant she was because they thought for sure the surprise pregnancy would make her even more bitchier. She laughed the comments off, was even a good sport about it, but it was a subject that came up often in her sessions.

Regina brought her hand to Henry's head and stroked it, eventually finding its way to his cheek. Henry leaned into the warmth of his mother's hand while he still stood tucked against her side. She waited for her son to speak. Talking about Daniel with Henry on any day other than the anniversary of his death seemed a difficult task with her and on some level Henry understood that, which is why he usually reserved all discussions for that one day a year. He was his mother's protector and didn't want to make her cry when it came to his father.

"So, what else did he do?"

"Hmmm?" she responded to his question, for Daniel did a lot of things and she wasn't sure which direction to take the conversation; she wanted to follow Henry's lead.

"When you were pregnant, I mean, with me. Did he really do those silly things that Robin does?" She softly chuckled, let out a silent 'oh'. She dropped her hand from his cheek and headed for the kitchen table to sit. She beckoned with her hand for Henry to join her. Henry sat down at the chair to the left of her. She held out her hand for Henry's and he gladly gave it, knowing it was somewhat a habit of hers, holding his hand and stroking it as she spoke of Daniel.

"Oh yes, he would indeed talk to you while you were inside me. He'd tell you stories, so many stories. He'd speak of all the adventures he'd take you on once you were big enough, after you boys tied me down to a chair, for of course I would never let him take you on dangerous adventures where you could get hurt. He would massage my belly when you were being quite active, telling you to calm down and you know what?" Henry shook his head no, "you would actually stop moving. It was the funniest thing. I even threatened he would have to leave a little early to come with me to work to keep you calm so I could get some work done." Silence overtook them, Henry not really knowing what to say. "He loved you so much, even from the moment we found out I was pregnant." The door to the garage opened, signaling Roland and Robin's return from the car, arms laden with groceries.

"Good grief Regina, how much ice cream and non – dinner items did you get?" Regina chuckled, pushed herself up from the chair to help take some bags from Roland.

"Oh hush you. Your child wants ice cream, who am I to deny it, the poor helpless little thing." Robin chuckled as he set the bags upon the table. Henry stood up and started unpacking the bags. Henry watched as Regina leaned up to peck Robin on the cheek. He didn't turn away like he usually does when they display affection in front of him and Roland. Not that he still doesn't find it gross, for it is really quite gross to him, but he understands his mother's need for the affection, to know she has found love again and after all, he is her protector and so he'll allow this.

"Anymore bags in the car, Robin?" Henry ventures forth as he starts gathering the empty grocery bags.

"Nope, we got it all, didn't we Roland?" Robin turns to the five year old who shakes his head rather enthusiastically.

"Yep! Now is it time to go to the movies?" The adults chuckled and Robin looks at the clock on the stove.

"It's six, I suppose we can start making our way there."

"Have you boys straightened up the den?" Regina asks as she starts to move to put away the groceries. Both Henry and Roland look at each other before racing off to the den to put away their toys lest Regina change her mind about their trip to the movies. Robin takes the few minutes allowed to him and Regina while the boys are straightening up to wrap his arms around his wife. She leans back into him, a soft hum escaping her lips. Her eyes close as she wraps her arms around his arms and they stand there, softly swaying. Robins relaxes his arms and goes to rubbing her belly, resuming his ministrations from earlier. Regina chuckles, stills his motions and turns in his arms. She wraps her arms around his neck, drawing him into a chaste kiss. They break apart and lean back from one another. Robin studies her face.

"What was that for?" Regina shrugs her shoulders.

"I guess I missed you. Squishy did too."

"He did, did he?"

"Uh – huh." She sighed and pecked another kiss onto his lips.

"Well, you know, in a few minutes we'll have the place to ourselves, whadya think of that?"

"I think I can," kiss, "not" another peck, "wait." She finishes off with another kiss as the boys come racing back into the kitchen. The adults slowly break apart.

"Hey mom, Robin, we straightened the den, can we go now?"

"You are in a big hurry," Robin commented as he and Regina started to follow the boys to the front door so they could grab their jackets.

"We wanna get good seats, don't we Roland?" The younger boy nodded his head so fast Regina feared it might fall off. She stooped as much as she could to help Roland zip his jacket and pressed a kiss to his head.

"Alright you two, behave for Emma and let us know when you're on your way back."

"Really mom?"

"Yes please, I need to know you're safe."

"Ohhh kay." Regina stepped forward to place a kiss on the top of Henry's head, mussing his hair a bit. He quickly rubbed his hands back through his hair to straighten it out. "Hey, don't mess up my hair."

"Oh, sorry your highness," she bowed her head in his direction. Henry gave a slight roll of his eyes. Robin held the door open for the boys and leaned out to peck Regina on the cheek as they all headed out towards the car.

* * *

"Killian, cut it out!" Emma hissed as Killian reached forward to steal another fry off her plate. It was date night and it was Emma's night to choose. She wasn't real hard to please and so they found themselves at Granny's, her with a plate of a three cheese grilled cheese sandwich and chili cheese fries. Killian ordered steak and mixed vegetables, but those fries called to him.

"Oh relax Swan, you know you never eat all of them." Emma eyed Killian.

"You never know, today could be the day I emerge victorious!"

"Ha!" Killian shouted as he stole another fry from her plate. "So, love, how was your day today?"

"Oh, same ol' same ol'. Took the patrol car out for a spin around the block, parked at the park, got out for a walk. Nothing too terribly interesting going on in this town. How was your day? What did you do?"

"Oh just took the boat out for a few hours. Early spring tourists. Fancied a deep sea fishing trip."

"Catch anything?"

"No, but they did enjoy the ride."

"Well that's good. So, Mr. Jones what else are we going to do tonight?"

"Well, I was thinking we could take a stroll around the park, walk off these greasy fries. Maybe get some ice cream?"

"Alright, that sounds doable. Shall we have another glass of the Chardonnay?"

"Why, Miss Swan, are you trying to get knackered and have your wicked way with me?"

"I haven't heard you complain about my tactics before." Killian raised his glass to her and gave her a wink.

"Nope, can't say that you'll get any complaints from me."

* * *

Robin and the boys arrived at the movie theatre around six fifteen. Robin parked the car and went to exit the vehicle. His hand was on the door handle when Henry interrupted him.

"Oh, Robin you don't have to worry about walking us in."

"Henry, your mom would kill me if I didn't make sure you were safe. And I quite fancy being alive."

"It's alright, we'll be okay. You can watch us walk up there. We're big boys, right Roland?"

"Yup!" Roland gave a heavy nod of his head. Robin let out a heavy sigh. He wasn't quite ready for Roland growing up and it seemed his growing up was accelerating thanks to Henry's influence.

"Alright, I'll sit right here and watch you boys." Both boys gave shouts of 'Yes!' and hopped out the car. Henry ran over to Robin's side of the car.

"Hey Robin, do you think you could give us some extra money, just in case?"

"Did your mother not give you any?"

"Uh, nope, pregnancy brain, gets her every time," Henry shrugged his shoulders. Robin reached for his wallet and pulled out a twenty dollar bill.

"Come Robin, snacks are gonna cost at least twenty. We need some for tickets and Granny's."

"This is turning out to be more expensive than everyone staying at home watching movies and ordering out a pizza."

"Yeah, but you get a kid free evening. You're not gonna get that for a long time after the baby's here." Robin nodded his head, Henry's reasons were somewhat true. Robin gave them thirty more dollars.

"Please don't forget to let your mother know when Emma gets here, she'll have my hide and yours if you don't."

"Don't worry Robin, Emma said she'll meet us here after she takes a quick shower, wash off the grime of the day."

"Alright. Roland, behave for Henry and Emma, okay?"

"Okay daddy."

"Come one Roland, we wanna get good seats!" Henry grabbed Roland's tiny hand and they jogged across the street to the ticket window. Robin watched from the car as Henry purchased the tickets and both boys were safely inside.

Robin started to drive off when his phone let out a chirp, alerting him to a text message. It was from Regina.

 _Everything alright?_

 _Yep, just dropped the boys off._

 _Great, was Emma there?_

 _No, not yet, but Henry promised to let us know when she gets there. He wanted to go ahead and get good seats._

 _He's really excited about this movie, huh?_

 _It would seem so. He's usually never interested in cartoon movies_

 _Makes me wonder what he's up to_

 _Think he's trying to get into our good graces?_

 _Wouldn't hurt. Are you on your way home right now?_

 _Well, I was, but don't want 2 txt n drive_

 _Right, well I was thinking_

 _Uh oh, what's going on in that pretty head of yours_

 _Perhaps we could forgo cooking dinner_

 _Seeing as all you picked out at the store was snackfood for your cravings_

 _Hey! Not my fault Squishy has a craving for salty things_

 _Uh huh, so what did you have in mind for dinner?_

 _Maybe Squishy communicated that it would really enjoy a grilled cheese sandwich, from Granny's_

 _Since when do you like grilled cheese?_

 _It's not me that wants it, it's Squishy._

 _Alright, you need more protein though_

 _Yeah, two grilled chicken breasts. On the side, not touching the cheese. And no pickles. If I so much as taste pickle juice on my sandwich I will cut you._

 _Alright I get the picture. Anything else?_

 _Maybe some onion rings_

 _Ew. Alright. Why don't you call all that in so I don't mess it up_

 _Okay, what are you going to eat?_

 _Order me up some hot wings and fries._

 _Okey dokes. Head over there. I'm going to take a quick nap while you wait for the food_

 _Ok, luv ya babe_

 _:-*_

Robin sighed as he set his phone down. It was nearing six forty and still no sign of Emma's yellow bug. Robin was only slightly worried. He drove off in the direction of Granny's. He was certainly looking forward to his evening with Regina, alone, without the boys. They hadn't had an evening to themselves in a while and Henry was right, once the baby was there it would be a long while before they would have time to themselves. Ten minutes later found him pulling up outside the diner where a familiar yellow bug sat parallel parked right out front. Now this was even more curious. He exited the car and jogged up to the entrance. He pulled open the door to see Emma and Killian sitting at a booth towards the back, toasting each other with wine glasses. Robin steeled his face and approached the table.

"Emma, what are you doing here?"

"Robin, hey! Killian and I were having date night, what's it to you?"

"Well, aren't you supposed to be with the boys at the movies?" Emma cocked her head to the side.

"Um, I don't think so?"

"Shit."

"Wha? What's going on?"

"I think we might need to start planning Henry's funeral…maybe mine too."

"Robin, what's going on?"

"Well, Regina called me to say that you were taking the boys to see Zootopia so that we could have a night in to ourselves. I just dropped them off at the movies about fifteen minutes ago."

"You let them out without meeting me? Not that I was going to be there."

"He said you were going to meet them after you took a shower. Regina's going to pop a gasket."

"Maybe we don't have to tell her. We can just go and pick them up."

"Oh no, I'm going to tell Regina about all of this. Henry dragged Roland into this. And I doubt they went to go see the movie he told Regina he was going to see."

"And what movie is that?"

"Zootopia I think."

"Yeah, I definitely don't think he voluntarily went to see that, even if he did drag Roland along. Hey pirate, you feel like getting into a little mischief?"

"Sure, it seems it might be a lot more interesting than our walk around the park."

"Excellent."

"Alright, so what did you have in mind?"

* * *

An hour later found little Roland and Henry seated in the jail cell at Storybrooke's sheriff's department. Roland's face was tear stained and Henry was swinging his legs back and forth. Sheriff Graham was seated at the desk filling out paperwork on the two boys.

"What are we gonna do now Henry?"

"Shh, I'm thinking. I think we're supposed to get a phone call."

"Who are we gonna call? Are we gonna call my dad and mommy?"

"I was thinking maybe we could call Emma. Hey Sheriff Graham!" Henry called out. Graham looked up from his paperwork.

"Yep?"

"Do we get a phone call?"

"Yeah, after I get through processing you."

"You don't really need to do that, do you?"

"You snuck into a movie. That's stealing."

"Wha? How is that stealing?!"

"What movie did you buy tickets for?" Henry looked down and pulled out the ticket stub.

"Um, Zootopia?" Henry bought tickets to Zootopia to make the cover story about seeing Zootopia believable. In reality Henry and Roland had snuck into Captain America and were quite proud of themselves until a movie usher showed up and escorted them out the theatre where they were greeted by Sheriff Graham. He handcuffed the two boys and carted them off to the station.

"And what movie did the usher find you in?"

"Captain America," Henry mumbled.

"Right, and did you pay for a ticket to see Captain America?"

"No."

"Alright then, stealing." Graham returned to his paperwork. A few more minutes passed before Henry asked again if he could have his phone call. He certainly didn't want to spend the night in the tiny jail cell. Graham asked for five more minutes to finish up the case notes. Eventually he rose from behind the desk, unlocked the cell and escorted Henry over to the desk so he could make his phone call.

"Emma?"

"Hey kid, what's up?"

"Um, me and Roland kinda need your help."

"You do, do you? I'll see if I can help you."

"Well, you see we need someone to come bail us out of jail."

"What? Bail you out of jail? What are you on about?"

"Yeah, can you just come down here?"

"Does your mom know about any of this?"

"No, you're the first person I called. Please don't tell her about this. I'll be your personal servant for the rest of the year." Henry pleaded into the phone.

"Oh Henry. I don't know about this."

"Please, Emma. Think of Roland." A brief pause in their conversation.

"Well, give me a few minutes to get dressed. You're interrupting date night with Killian."

"I'm sorry, but thanks Emma!"

"Yeah yeah, see ya in a few, kid." Henry replaced the receiver and a sigh of relief escaped his lips. He turned towards Roland and gave a thumbs up.

"Alright, you got your phone call, back to the cell," Graham said as he guided Henry back towards the cell to rejoin Roland.

"Henry, are we in trouble?" Roland stated in hushed tones.

"Quite possibly Roland, quite possibly. Hopefully Emma will be able to help us out." Roland scooted closer to Henry and snuggled close. Henry wrapped one arm around the small boy and heaved a heavy sigh. His mom was going to kill him.

* * *

After Robin left to take the boys to the movies, Regina finished arranging the groceries in the cabinets and refrigerator. Then she headed upstairs to take off her work clothes. Nothing was freer than removing her dress pants and bra. It was probably her favorite part of the day. She found her mouth quirking into a smile at the thought of having a few hours with Robin without the boys. She loved her boys but she desperately needed some time with Robin, alone, without the threat of little children interrupting them. It was a lifestyle she was learning to work with since she never had to really sneak around with a lover before. Regina walked over to the walk in closet and pulled out a bag from the back. Mary – Margaret invited Regina out for a shopping trip to Victoria's Secret. Apparently Mary – Margaret needed some new lingerie and somehow convinced Regina to purchase a pregnancy teddy set. Regina had felt a little ridiculous, but then Mary – Margaret made fun of her so of course Regina had to prove to Mary – Margaret that she did not have a problem wearing a preggy teddy. Regina never told Robin about the little shopping trip and the item she picked up; she was saving it for just the right moment. Tonight seemed like as good a night as any. She took out the outfit, walked over to the full length mirror and held it over her body. It was a deep purple. The top was sheer and it tied just in front of her breasts, leaving the rest to fall open across her belly. The matching underwear was a delicate lace pattern. She chuckled to herself, feeling a little silly about the entire thing, but she was also feeling a little keyed up, picturing herself in the outfit and what Robin would do to her when he arrived home. Speaking of arriving home, seeing as they didn't have any dinner plans she should probably ask Robin to pick up some food for their night in. Regina went in search of her cell phone and fired off a few text messages about the boys and dinner. She was little miffed Robin wanted her to actually call the order in herself, but it was probably better that way. She could communicate how serious she was about pickles and pickle juice not coming anywhere near her food far more effectively than Robin.

* * *

Emma clicked off her cell phone and smirked.

"What was that all about, Emma?" Robin asked once Emma placed her phone on the table. Emma folded her hands under her chin and rested her elbows on the table.

"Well, that was Henry. Graham arrested them."

"Great, so what happens now?"

"Well that's entirely up to you. Shall we bring Regina in on this or really scare the boys and watch her go down on a warpath?"

"Ooo, mad Regina. We can record it and post it on youtube. We're sure to get a million hits!" Emma punched Killian in his arm. "Ow, what was that for?" Emma shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm not sure, it felt appropriate."

"Well, I do think it would be a funny thing to watch but Regina is in a delicate state right now. I really wouldn't want to upset her too terribly."

"Alright, let us pay for our food and we'll head over to your house and fill Regina in. Maybe feed her first." Robin nodded his head and went to the counter to pick up his food while Emma and Killian went to pay their bill.

* * *

Regina was seated on the sofa in the den, wearing her robe over her outfit. She hoped Robin would return soon. He was cutting into what few precious hours they had and she definitely planned on eating before they go to dessert. She was flipping through the selections in her Netflix queue when she heard the unmistakable slam of Robin's car door. She muted the tv, bit down on her lower lip, just the way he liked and posed herself seductively on the sofa, awaiting his entrance into the house. There were a few tense moments before she could hear the jingle of house keys in the door. Her heartbeat quickened. The door pushed open and she could hear her husband shuffling in the foyer.

"Hey Regina! I'm back!"

"In here Robin!" She called out to him.

"Hey, Regina, I got – whoa!"

"Oi mate, what gives?" Killian cried out as he and Emma walked straight into the back of Robin, who stopped walking upon seeing his wife displayed on the sofa. Robin quickly set the food down on the side table.

"Robin! What the hell?" Regina cried out at she scrambled to re-arrange her robe over her outfit. Robin turned around to Emma and Killian.

"Uh, how much of that did you see?" Emma and Killian's eyes were both screwed shut.

"Uh, nothing. We didn't see anything, did we Killian?"

"Nope, nope didn't see a thing. Are, are you all covered up? Can we open our eyes now?"

"Yes, you may enter into my home now. Please, have a seat." Regina huffed out angrily. "Wait, what are you two doing here? Who's at the movies with the boys? Oh my God are the boys okay?"

"Relax Regina, they're in jail." Regina's eyes went wide.

"They're what? They're in jail? How does that make them okay?"

"Regina, if you calm down for a quick sec, we'll explain everything." Emma motioned for Regina to sit down on the sofa. Robin set about removing the food items from the bags he brought in.

"Here Regina, why don't you eat a little bit first?" Regina looked at Robin offering her food and scoffed.

"No, I don't want to eat until someone lets me know why the boys are in jail. Start. Talking. Now."

"Well, uh I dropped the boys off and they went into the theatre. Then when I got to Granny's I ran into Emma and Killian. I was confused because Henry told us he was meeting Emma at the movies."

"Naturally, continue."

"Right, so Emma thought we'd give the boys a little scare and had Graham go down to the theatre and find out what they were up to."

"Uh – huh, keep going."

"So you know how Henry said they were going to see Zooptopia?" Regina nodded. "Well they weren't in the theatre for Zootopia."

"They weren't?" Robin shook his head. "Well, where were they?"

"They were in the theatre for Captain America."

"What?!" Regina slapped her hands down on her legs and pushed herself as best she could off the sofa. She paced around the den. "Henry lied to me about meeting Emma at the theatre, which movie he was going to see and what's worse he drug Roland along with him."

"Right, so then Emma thought it would teach them a lesson if Graham arrested them for stealing, essentially." Regina looked at Robin and nodded her head.

"Hmm, I see. And you didn't think to run this by me?"

"Well, it was kinda spur of the moment."

"Oh no, Miss Swan. I am the parent here. I get to make the decisions on how best to discipline my children."

"Well, to be fair I kinda agreed." Robin chimed in.

"So you did. Did you think this was really the best course of action?"

"I do. You must admit Henry's been getting kind of bold with his decisions lately. This was more of us trying to scare him straight before he gets too far off the beaten path."

Regina stopped to consider Robin for a moment. Henry hadn't really been that bad, he was testing his boundaries. She didn't really think it was Robin's place to discipline _her_ son. Then again, Robin was now Henry's father figure and he was her husband. They needed to provide a united front. Most of the time Robin deferred to Regina for disciplinary actions with the boys. It unnerved her a little to see Robin taking action without consulting her. Yet another thing to discuss involving the arrival of a child created by them. Robin came to stand behind his wife and rubbed her shoulders. She shrugged him off and distanced herself.

"Regina, I'm sorry, I wanted to talk to you about it first, really I did." Emma stepped forward.

"Yeah, Regina, don't be mad at Robin, I kinda took the lead. Henry actually called me to come bail him out." Regina stole a side – ways glance at Emma.

"He did? He didn't call me?" Emma chuckled out loud. She brought a hand to her mouth to stifle her laughter.

"Goodness, the kid's terrified of you. It's a healthy fear, don't get me wrong."

"Well, I don't want him to be too afraid to call me when he's in trouble."

"I think if he was in trouble in general, he would probably come to you, but I can see why he called me instead. You're the person he's going to be in trouble with."

"I suppose you're right. Okay, what's next in this stupid plan of yours?"

"You're really okay with his?" Regina nodded her head.

"Okay, well, we thought you could head down to the station and make a big fuss about Henry getting him and Roland arrested. What a dumb plan it was to skip movies, lie to you about his whereabouts, stuff like that. Getting arrested isn't nearly as bad as getting kidnapped and murdered and no one would know what happened to them."

"That's a bit dramatic, dontcha think?" Robin countered.

"No, not really. We want this to be a good lesson for them, right?" Regina responded.

"I suppose so. Alright, let's get this over with."

"Let me go change out of this outfit. I knew I shouldn't have gotten this, it's a sign." Regina sighed out as she headed for the stairs.

"Hey guys, I'll be right back." Robin whispered to Emma and Killian as he headed to follow Regina to the bedroom.

"Don't take too long, we want to get back to our date night too!" Emma whispered back.

* * *

"Hey babe."

"Hi," Regina responded as she tossed her robe onto the bed and set about removing the sheer top. Robin approached her and stilled her hands. "Robinnn, what are you doing?"

"Oh, nothing, just admiring this work of art." Regina blushed.

"Well get your admiration in while you can, I don't think I'll wear this again."

"Oh, why not?" Robin stated as he palmed a breast in one hand and ghosted his fingers across the other. Regina paused, enjoying his touch before she brought her hands to his and removed them.

"Please Robin, let's get this over and done with. I'm no longer in the mood for anything other than getting the boys safely home and sleeping."

"Hey, don't be that way."

"I was really looking forward to our spontaneous night in. We haven't had any time to ourselves and I'm really horny." Robin brought Regina into an embrace and laughed softly in her hair, rubbing her back.

"Oh, darling. I'm sorry, have I been neglecting you? We had sex the other night, didn't we?" Regina shook her head against his shoulder.

"We did, but I wanna get fucked. I want it rough and hard. I wanna cum screaming your name on my lips so loud we wake the neighborhood. I want angry sex. Not this gentle shit you've been doing. I know you're concerned about hurting the baby but my God I feel more keyed up after we have sex than we did before we actually had it." Robin pulled his wife back to look into her eyes, not sure where all this was coming from.

"Really now? That's what you want?" Regina shook her head. "Well, I would promise to do something about that, but we have to finish punishing our boys. I was thinking of grounding them for two weeks. Can you wait two weeks?" Regina shook her head no. "Well then, what do you suggest?" Regina's lips turned up into a smile.

"Why don't we send them over to Ursula at the pet store? They can clean out the cages, take the dogs out, pick up poop after them."

"Oh, so hard labor then?"

"Yeah."

"Hey guys! Can you finish your quickie session so we can get a move on? I wanna get fucked tonight too!" Emma yelled out from downstairs.

"In a minute, Swan! Fucking while pregnant entails some skill!" Regina slapped Robin's chest.

"I can't believe you just did that!" Regina turned from Robin and quickly divested herself of her outfit, replacing her clothes from earlier. They joined hands and headed down the stairs.

"Alright, let's get this over with so we can all get back to our respective fucking," Regina stated as soon as her feet hit the landing. They all followed outside to their cars and headed over to the station.

* * *

"Oh my gosh! Henry, Roland! Here you are!" Henry and Roland's heads snapped up at the frantic voice echoing through the station. It was his mom.

"Mom what are you doing here?"

"What am _I_ doing here? I'm looking for you! We've been worried sick! Robin dropped you off at the movies and went to pick us up some dinner at Granny's where he saw Emma and Killian enjoying dinner, without you boys anywhere in sight." Henry swallowed. "Needless to say we were quite concerned about your whereabouts. We went back to the movies and couldn't find you anywhere. We thought someone kidnapped you!"

"Well, technically Graham did kidnap us."

"Hey, I arrested you for stealing, there's a difference," Graham interjected.

"Arrested? For stealing?"

"Yeah, they bought tickets for Zootopia but they were in the theatre for Captain America."

"Henry! I thought I made it clear you could not see that movie. And what's worse you involved Roland." Henry looked down at his feet. "I am very disappointed in you. I thought you were more responsible than this. What's gotten into you?" Henry stayed silent. At this point he thought it was the wisest course of action. "Anything you want to say?"

"Sorry?" Regina shook her head and tsked.

"Alright, Graham, let them out."

"Uh, sorry, no can do." Regina's eyes went wide.

"No can do?"

"Nope, I need bail money."

"Really?"

"Yep."

"And how much is that?"

"I suppose $500 for Henry and $100 for Roland is good." Henry's eyes went wide. Were they really in that much trouble?

"Alright. Let's get this processed so we can go home."

"Alright Mrs. Mills, let's go right over here." Graham escorted Regina to the office so they could finish processing the boys. Emma approached the boys.

"Emma! You weren't supposed to tell mom!"

"Sorry kid, but when she saw Killian and I without you boys she got kinda worried. This is all on you. What's going on in that head of yours?"

"Well, I really wanted to see Captain America and I knew even if I asked you to take me she'd tell you not to let me see it."

"Look kid, I don't always listen to what your mom says. I'm the reasonable, cool, fun adult. It's her job to make the rules and enforce them to ensure you don't end up homeless and maladjusted once you get out into the real world. You see how worked up she is? She's pregnant. Stress isn't good for her or the baby. You gotta be more considerate of other people."

"We're always having to be considerate of the baby."

"Well, you know what? Someday you're going to grow up, get married and have kids. You're gonna be considerate of your wife and your unborn child. It's your job as a parent. And your job as a big brother is to protect your siblings, to be there for them like I am for you."

"Yeah, but you tattled."

"I didn't tattle, I was being a responsible adult. Sneaking into a movie is child's play compared to armed robbery, driving under the influence and a slew of other things you could get arrested for. And you know what? Mommy and daddy won't always be around to come rescue you. You gotta make smart decisions. I know you're smart, your mom knows you're smart, so we're a little confused as to why you keep acting out. The only person you have to worry about is yourself. She's trying to take care of you, Roland, Robin, the new baby and a household. The least you could do to help is to behave, be where you say you're going to be, do what is asked of you, help out with Roland. She can pay more attention to you the way you need it if she doesn't have to worry about all the trouble you might get into because she can't trust you to do what she asks or what you say you're going to do."

"But – "

"Uh – uh, no buts. There is no excuse and you know it." Emma finished off her conversation as Regina approached the cell.

"Well boys, there goes your summer vacation, I hope it was worth it."

"What?"

"We don't exactly have extra money in our budget to pay your bail and take you on summer vacation. Graham was gracious enough to allow you boys to volunteer at the station during your break and I'm going to talk to Ursula at the pet shop."

"Mom!"

"Don't mom me. This is getting off easy. Now, let's get you boys home. I'm starving and this has been rather taxing." Graham opened the doors. Roland ran to Regina and held her tightly, tears streaming down his face while Henry sulked his way out of the station and to the car.

* * *

Robin and Regina cuddled closely together on the sofa. Their boys were tucked away safely in their rooms upstairs. Robin convinced Regina to don the preggy teddy, well the top portion anyway, after they returned home. He didn't want his evening completely ruined. He lovingly stroked her belly, rubbing the anti – stretch mark cream. He even worked the muscles in her back, neck and shoulders. The television hummed in the background while they sat in near silence. Finally, Regina spoke.

"Do you think we did the right thing tonight?"

"Honestly Regina, we won't know the effects of our parenting until they are well into adulthood. We can only hope we're doing the best we can. We're winging it everyday and I'm okay with that, as long as you are." Regina hummed to herself as she stroked Robin's hands resting on her belly.

"And what about this one? We're starting from scratch with this one."

"I know, we've certainly a standard to live up to. Henry thinks we treat him harshly. I can't wait to meet this little person we've created and shower it with so much love. I love Henry and Roland, but it's different. And loving this child will be different. The challenge, as with all kids, is to figure out the right way to love it. To love it the way it needs to be loved. And that's an adventure I'm looking forward to take with you." Regina hummed again, moving her hands over her belly to soothe the gently kicks the baby was giving.

"Robin?"

"Yes love?"

"I know I was looking forward to finding out what we're having, but I think after tonight's events I wanna be surprised."

"But, we've already been surprised!"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, its presence was a surprise you know? We weren't trying for this."

"I know, I know, but I want to cherish the unknown. Get to know our baby without any gender bias. Can we do that?" Robin slowly nodded his head.

"If that's what you want sweetheart. How are we going to finish decorating the nursery and buy clothes and everything?"

"Well, we've painted it that dark green already. We can go with a forest motif. And I don't think it will care what color clothes we put it in for the first couple of months at least. We'll probably end up changing its clothes a lot anyway – spit up, pissy diapers, poopy diapers."

"I see your point. And what about names?"

"We can pick out names for both, yeah? We don't have to name it right away. We've got time," she finished off as her eyes started to flutter close. Her breathing evened out as Robin continued to rub gently at her belly.

"Regina? Love? Are you asleep?"

"Hmm?" She asked with her eyes close as she snuggled closer into Robin. He laughed and pulled the blanket off the back of the sofa to cover them. They could stay there for a little while. The evening had definitely worn her out. He wanted to give her these few hours of peace before the morning. They had boys to finish disciplining. He gazed down at the serene peace that graced his wife's face. He wasn't sure how they were going to make it through the teenage years with Henry, but one thing was certain, they would get through it together. Then they could tackle Roland, then the new baby, and who knows, perhaps another.

* * *

I know it's been a while, but please R & R!


	30. Rain

I worked on this during vacation. Hopefully you enjoy it!

* * *

It was the dead of night. A soft rumble of thunder echoed through the house. Regina snuggled close into Robin's side, as was their customary when he allowed her to turn the heat down in their bedroom. She sighed a gentle sigh. Robin adjusted his weight back and draped his arm over his wife's belly. He was vaguely aware of his unborn child moving underneath his hand.

"He's always doing that," Regina spoke into the dead silence of the night. She twisted her head and cracked an eye open to see if Robin was coherent.

"To whom are you speaking? Me? It couldn't be the baby, you're convinced it's a girl." Regina closed her eyes, grabbed Robin's hand and traced lazy circles on her belly to soothe her child. It seemed more active at night while she wanted to rest peacefully.

"You, silly. The baby always moves whenever you rub my belly. I'm going to have to limit how much you do this if I ever want to get any sleep," Regina hummed. Robin stopped his ministrations. "What are you doing?" She asked when Robin stilled his hands.

"Allowing you to get some rest, mi'lady."

"It's no use now, you've already got him started. Might as well continue."

"Oh, really?"

"Mmm hmm," Regina nodded her head against the pillow she was resting on. Robin hesitantly replaced his hands onto her belly. He just held them there this time, not rubbing, willing his child to stop moving through his hands so Regina could get some rest. Regina adjusted herself a little further down the bed, a little closer to Robin's crotch. "If you're done rubbing my belly could you at least rub my back? It's feeling sore."

"Of course babe," Robin responded and began kneading the muscles on Regina's low back. She moaned in pleasure.

"I wish I wasn't so lazy and actually brought baby stuff into the bedroom." She was feeling rather talkative.

"Why would we bring baby stuff into our room? We put it in the baby's room, where it belongs."

"Well, not everything in the baby room is for the baby."

"It isn't?"

"It's not. Mmm, can you work the sides a little?" Robin shifted his hands a little higher on her back.

"Well what have you got in there that's not for the baby?"

"Mary – Margaret brought me a boppy."

"A boppy?"

"Yeah."

"What's that for?"

"You can use it to support the baby while breast feeding. But for now, I can put in between my legs to alleviate some of the stress on my back."

"For breast feeding, eh? Is that something you want to do? Did you breast feed Henry?"

"Mmm hmmm, for a little while. He kinda outgrew it after about six months."

"Outgrew it? How does one outgrow breastfeeding? I thought you had to wean the baby. Lydia and I formula fed Roland. It was too stressful for her to try to get Roland to latch on."

"Sometimes you do have to wean the baby, but Henry just stopped taking my breast. That was very emotional for me. I thought I was already failing him as a mother."

"Oh, I didn't know that and I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"It's alright, it took a lot of support and researching to accept it happens sometimes. I was mostly more devastated because I thought Henry was the only child I would have an opportunity to nurse. But now, I get to try again with this little guy here," Regina smiled and turned her body so she was face to face with Robin. Robin grinned at Regina's smile and she nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck, inhaling his familiar scent. They lie like this for some time. Eventually the low rumbling thunder gave way to a light pitter pattering of rain, pounding harder on the roof of their house. Robin tightened his hold on Regina as if she were his security blanket. She wrapped her top leg across Robin's leg, effectively sandwiching his legs in between hers.

"Mmm, comfortable, my love?"

"Yeah, you're going to be my human boppy," she responded. Robin laughed into her hair.

"Is that so?"

"Mmm hmm," she nodded. "Now be quiet, I'm finally comfortable and I want to hear the rain. It's wonderfully relaxing."

"Alright, I'll quiet down. Does that mean Squishy has calmed down too?"

"Yes, he drifted off a while ago, I think. I'm not certain. Maybe when you stopped rubbing my belly."

"Oh, you were serious about that?"

"Quite. Maybe it is a girl seeing as she responds whenever you're around."

"Really? She doesn't move at all when it's just you?"

"Well, she moves around some, but it feels more intense when you're around, when you're speaking, or touching me."

"I would love to have a daddy's girl."

"I think every dad wants a daddy's girl. Just so you know we're not spoiling her. We need to be united on that front. I don't want to be the mean mommy and you let her get away with everything. I don't want her to hate me like I hated my mother."

"Is that really why you hated your mother?"

"A little, not that my father let me get away with things. My mother was controlling and my father was sympathetic towards me. Her actions definitely did nothing to endear me to her." Robin wasn't sure what more he could say on the subject. He knows how touchy of a subject it is with her and is actually quite surprised she's speaking so openly about it and even more surprised talking about it didn't send her into a fit of anger or a bubbling mess of tears. Instead, he pulls her even tighter to him, into a hug and releases her slightly. She readjusts her grip on his legs, sweat now clinging to their bodies. He loves having her in his arms and wonders how much longer she will remain before she decides it's too hot to be in his embrace. He felt her relax in his embrace and eventually soft snores every now and then could be heard coming from her. He watched her. He watched her inhale and exhale. He watched her unconsciously shift her hands over her baby bump. He watched the tightened skin stretch this way and that as his child seemed to try to shift with its mother. Eventually his eyes fell closed.

* * *

Robin wasn't sure how much time had passed, but the rain seemed unrelenting and darkness still shrouded their room. Regina, however was no longer in bed. The covers on her side of the bed had been shoved to the side. Robin sat up and waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. There was a light beaming from beneath the door to their ensuite bathroom.

"Regina?" He called out.

"Hmmm," was the only response he got. He swung his legs over the side of the bed.

"Regina, love, are you alright?"

"Mmm," he heard again, followed by what sounded like his wife vomiting.

"Shit, Regina!" He hopped out of the bed and ran into the bathroom. Regina had herself braced over the toilet, rocking back and forth. Her face was flushed red. She'd been in there for a while. Robin hurried to his wife's side, pulling her hair out of her face. He reached over to the side of the sink and grabbed one of her hair ties so he could tie her hair up for her. She reached out one of her hands for him. She grasped it tightly as her body tensed to empty more contents from her stomach. Now that her hair was tied up, Robin could rub soothing circles on her back. Liquid sloshed into the toilet. Robin momentarily left Regina's side to wet a wash cloth. He returned and pressed it to the back of her neck. She steadied herself over the toilet. After a few minutes, when nothing more happened Regina rocked back and Robin helped to sit her on the floor. He went to wet another cloth and placed that one on her forehead. A few more minutes passed.

"Regina, are you okay now?" All she could do was shake her head. "Do you think you can make it to the bed if I helped you?" She shook her head no. "Alright, I'm going to pick you up." Regina looked up at Robin and the tears that escaped while she was throwing up increased and her cries became audible. "Oh no, Regina, don't do that. Why are you doing that?" Robin asked as he stooped down to position himself to pick her up.

"Because, I'm too heavy for you to pick up and carry to bed," she choked out in between sobs.

"Nonsense, love. You will never be too heavy for me to carry," Robin responded as he hoisted her into his arms and carried her to the bed. He settled her down and was about to pull the covers up when she placed a hand on his wrist. "What?"

"I didn't quite get it all into the toilet." Robin flicked on the bedside table light. Her pajama top was stained red from whatever she'd eaten earlier.

"Okay, alright, no big deal. We'll just take this top off and get you another one, how does that sound?"

"Ughh, I feel like you're treating me like a little kid."

"Relax babe, you take this top off and I'll get you another top, okay?"

"Okay. Could you re wet the washcloth with some soap? Sponge bath me off?"

"You got it." Robin headed back to the bathroom and re wet the washcloth with soapy water. He returned to Regina and sponged off her neck, back, shoulders and front. He went back to the bathroom to rinse the soapy residue from the washcloth. He went back to Regina to wipe the soapy residue from her body and to dry her off.

"Alright love, is there any particular top you want to wear now?" Regina peered up at him.

"Actually, I'm pretty worn out. I think I just want to lay here like this. Help me take my bottoms off." Robin chuckled and helped his wife wiggle out of her pajama bottoms so that all she had on, well, she actually wasn't wearing anything underneath her pajama bottoms. Robin smirked. "What?" She asked in response to his face as she adjusted herself in the bed.

"Going commando now?"

"Ugh, really? Is that what you're paying attention to now?" Robin chuckled some more, glad his wife's spirits seemed to perk up.

"I'm just trying to lighten the mood. What brought all this on? Why didn't you wake me?"

"I'm sorry, I thought it was just heartburn from the spaghetti. I went to get some Tums from the bathroom. I couldn't quite swallow it down and once I started throwing up I couldn't stop."

"Oh love, I'm sorry. Did you have heartburn with Henry?" She shook her head against Robin's chest. She somehow migrated into his arms after he climbed back into bed.

"No, I didn't. Take off your top." Robin looked down at his wife, not sure he heard her correctly.

"Take off my top?"

"Yeah, your top is too hot. I want to feel your skin." Robin leaned forward a bit to pull his top off. Regina relaxed herself into his hold, blowing her hair out of her face. It had gotten longer and thicker and he loved it. He moved a few pieces out of her face and dropped a gentle kiss to her forehead. "Oh man," she squeezed her eyes shut.

"What?"

"I need to rinse out my mouth. I taste vomit."

"Alright, can you make it to the bathroom? Feeling up to it?"

"Yeah, let me rest here for a few minutes. Do you think you could bring me some gingerale and saltines to help settle my stomach? I think I probably threw up everything I had for dinner."

"You got it babe," Robin said as he hopped out of bed. Regina sat up with her legs dangling over the side of the bed until she regained her equilibrium. She hadn't felt so great after dinner but didn't think this would be the resulting scene hours later. She hoisted herself up from the bed and made it over to the bathroom where she brushed her teeth and rinsed her mouth with the mouthwash. It made her feel ten times better now the acrid taste was gone from her mouth. She grimaced as she made her way back to the bed to wait for Robin's return. Regina was surprised she was still having bouts of sickness in her twenty – ninth week of pregnancy.

"Here love, I got your gingerale and crackers as requested." Robin brought her requested items to the nightstand. She immediately gulped down the gingerale first before munching on two of the crackers. Robin stood over her, watching. "Is that all you're going to have?"

"Yeah, I don't think I can tolerate much more. Now come, get back in bed, I need cuddles."

"Oh, you need cuddles do you?" She nodded her head against his chest as they positioned themselves in bed. Robin pulled the covers around them, Regina was shivering.

"Yes, I was sick. Now be quiet and let's get some sleep before it's time to get up for work."

"Do you think you should go into work?"

"Well, yeah, why wouldn't I go?"

"Because you just spent thirty minutes puking your guts out."

"I went to work when I had morning sickness all throughout my first trimester."

"Yeah, but you haven't had any sickness in a while. I would feel better if you stayed home today, okay? I'll get the boys off to school."

"Robin, I really have to go into work. We're almost ready to publish the fifth book in the series and we need to get started on the planning on the sixth book."

"Isn't there anything you can work on from home?"

"I would but my lap top is at work."

"Why is it there?"

"Seriously?" She asked him, her face echoing her sentiments. Robin nodded his head. "Because you make me leave it there. Work is for work. Home is for home. Does that sound familiar?" Robin looked sheepish. He did make that request of her around her fifthteenth week. He could tell how stressed she was getting working on the Forbidden Fruit series practically twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Her Type A personality wouldn't let her take a break from it especially since she wanted it completed before she went out on maternity leave, which was still up in the air on when exactly she would take it. They had discussed some dates. Sometimes she wanted to work into her fortieth week, sometimes she would be so angry she threatened the baby it would be evicted in the thirty – sixth week, to which, oddly enough it would respond with some placed kicks into Regina's ribs.

"Alright, alright, fair enough. How about this. You call in, tell them you're not feeling well, but you will work on some things from home. Have Mal get everything ready and I'll pick it up and bring it to you."

"You'd do that? For me?"

"Of course love, I'd do anything for my girls."

"Your girls?"

"For today, it sounds cute, doesn't it?"

"I suppose." She said as she snuggled back down in his arms.

"Well, we could always find out what it is."

"Nope, not going there again. We've already settled this. We'll wait for the kid to pop out to find out the gender."

"But how are we supposed to pick out names?"

"Easy, we pick out two. One for each."

"But how are we supposed to get used to calling the baby by its name?"

"We don't. That's a bit pretentious anyway. Placing such expectations on a baby before it even gets here."

"Alright, alright. Now, close your eyes my love. Get some rest."

* * *

Regina awakened to the sounds of birds chirping and the light streaking into her bedroom. She sat up with a start and called out.

"Robin? Robin are you here?" She didn't immediately hear a response. She glanced over at her alarm clock to see the digital read out flip to 10:24. "Shit!" She cried out as she threw the covers off her body and stumbled out of bed, forgetting momentarily she was naked. She tried to catch herself on the night table and ended up knocking her plate of forgotten saltine crackers and leftover gingerale onto the floor with a crash. "Fuck!" She exclaimed as she kneeled onto the floor to collect the plate, glass and crackers.

"Regina! What the hell are you doing?" Robin appeared in the doorway and then rushed to her side.

"It's ten thirty! Why didn't you wake me? I was supposed to call in so you could get my stuff!" She was in hysterics now.

"Hey, hey relax. I'll pick this up, you get back in bed. I called Mal and she sent your secretary over with your stuff. It's in the downstairs office, waiting for Sleeping Beauty to make her arrival. Mr. Gold sends his regards and doesn't think you should really be working at home. He says Mal can handle the account for a day or two if needed. They're still working on the final draft and cove-rart."

"He told you all of this? He said I didn't have to work on it for a few days? Are you sure it wasn't Sidney? That sounds uncharacteristic for Mr. Gold."

"I promise everything I just told you came straight from Mr. Gold's mouth." Regina narrowed her eyes at Robin. He was in his lounge pants and a plain white undershirt.

"What are you doing home?"

"Well, you're sick."

"Yes, I'm sick, you're not."

"I asked off for today."

"You just happened to have today off?"

"Yep."

"What for?"

"Don't worry about what for. Just don't come in the nursery."

"Robinnn, what are you doing in the nursery? You're not supposed to work on anything without me!"

'Relax love, it's a surprise."

"You know I don't like surprises. Why do you do this?"

"I promise, if you'll just trust me, that this is a good surprise. And it is something we've talked about." Regina eyed her husband once more before standing up from the floor to let him finish cleaning up. "Where are you going?"

"To put on some loungewear. If Mr. Gold says I don't have to actually work from home because you told him I was sick, I'm going to go downstairs and binge watch all the shows I can't watch while the boys are home. And since you asked for the day off too I expect some personal services." Robin laughed as he finished picking the items off the floor and followed his wife downstairs.

* * *

Robin deposited the plate and glass into the sink. He could hear the low rumblings from the television out in the den. He decided to make Regina a fruit plate with some yogurt and a glass of orange juice. He carried the items out to her and deposited them on the side table. She was thoroughly engrossed in her show.

"Here ya go. I'll be upstairs, so just give a holler if you need anything more, okay?" Regina nodded her head as she pulled the plate of fruit into her lap and bit into a strawberry. The juices gushed down her hands and she ever so delicately flicked her tongue out to lick the juice. She turned her head towards Robin, her eyes catching his. She popped the rest of the strawberry into her mouth and chewed. She then picked up another strawberry and placed the entire fruit into her mouth before biting down. When she reached for a third, Robin caught her hand and brought it to his mouth. He bit down on the strawberry and chewed.

"Hey! That was mine!"

"Oh, my love you don't play fair and you know it."

"But, I'm not feeling well, you can't treat me like this."

"Oh, I think you're feeling perfectly fine right about now."

"No, no I'm not," she poked her lips out and pouted.

"No?"

"No."

"Well, what can I do to make you feel better?" She quirked her lips and brought her finger to her chin, tapping on it lightly.

"For starters, you can massage my back."

"Alright, I can do that."

"Really?"

"Really, now sit up so I can get behind you." Regina quickly obliged, moving so Robin could sit behind her on the sofa but so that she could continue eating her fruit and watching her show. He started off at her neck and worked his way to her shoulders and upper back. Her plate of fruit and yogurt was eventually emptied. "Alright, was that good?"

"Mmm hmm."

"Anything else?" Regina craned her neck towards her husband and he was a bit startled at the hooded look in her eyes.

"Why yes, I do think there is something else you can do for me," she said as she placed her empty plate on the sidetable. She turned her body fully around, leaned forward on her hands to place a delicate kiss on Robin's lips. She sat back and grinned. She leaned forward once more, this time wrapping her arms around his neck before teasing the entrance of his mouth. It took a moment for Robin to catch on, but not long before they were making out on the sofa like teenagers. Eventually, one of Regina's hands snaked down to Robin's loungewear, flimsy loungewear judging by the stiffness she felt as her hands grazed his crotch. Robin strangled out a cry when Regina touched him, for her lips were still locked onto his. Robin broke their kiss, gasping for air. Regina stared hard at him, a little upset he interrupted their little session. Robin smiled at his wife and pushed her so she was laying on her back. "What are you doing?" She asked as he covered her body with his.

"Don't worry, just relax. I'm glad to see you feeling better. I want to show you how glad I am that you're feeling better." Robin pecked a kiss on her nose and then her lips before his hands drifted down her sides, sending a shiver up her spine. His hand stopped at the top of her pajama pants and then he dragged them down her body, pausing as she shimmied them off. Robin moved his hands up and down her thighs, giving them a squeeze here and there, massaging them. He could feel her body tremble and tense with each pass. Soon, soft sighs could be heard escaping her mouth. She shut her eyes and draped her legs open. Robin's hands coasted to the inside of her thighs as she dropped one of her hands down to rub at her clit while the other snaked underneath her shirt to grasp at one of her breasts. "Mmm, this more along the lines of what you wanted me to do for you?" Robin asked as he stared at Regina playing with herself. She tightly nodded her head, reveling in the pleasure she was giving herself, waiting for Robin. Robin stilled her hand and removed it. Her eyes popped open as she watched him tuck his head in between her thighs and gave her an impossibly slow lick against her folds. She moaned out, her thighs bucking just a little. Robin grasped her thighs, pulling them over his shoulders and scooted her body further down the sofa. He gave her a few more strong licks before latching onto her clitoris for a hard suck. She yelped out and rucked her shirt up all the way over her breasts where she began kneading them and pinching her nipples, rolling them in her fingers the way Robin would during foreplay. Deep guttural moans ripped from her throat of their own accord. Her hips rolled more as Robin dipped his tongue in and out of her folds, earning breathy moans from his wife. He reached up to steady her bucking hips but found her pregnant belly made that a little difficult. Robin continued his oral assault until one final scream ripped from Regina's lips, her body stilling as liquid gushed forward.

"Well, fuck, I think that's a first," he said as he used the back of his hand to wipe his face now sticky with his wife's juices.

"Hmmm," Regina giggled. Robin allowed Regina's legs to drop as she stretched out her body as far as it would go across the sofa.

"Are you feeling better now?"

"Oh yes, much better, but not tip top shape."

"And what, mi'lady, would bring you to tip top shape?"

"I think I need a bath."

"A bath?"

"Yes, I've just finished quite the workout."

"You were working out?" Regina smacked Robin's chest as he hovered over her, peppering kisses across her jawline, on her lips, in the valley between her breasts.

"Glute raises, deep breathing, crunches, which are not safe for my abdominal walls, I'll have you know." Robin sat up and held his hands up in surrender.

"Alright, alright, you win. I'll go draw you a bath. I'm setting a timer though, no longer than ten minutes and then you must shower off, okay?"

"Okay, daddy." Robin stood and pulled Regina off the sofa. He reached for her hand and led her up the stairs to their bedroom. She stood behind in as he drew the bath for her. "No bubbles?"

"No, no bubbles, we don't anything irritating your vagina."

Regina scoffed, "and what you just did didn't irritate it?"

"Mmm, quite the contrary, I think I made it very happy. Now, climb in and I'll make us some lunch. Anything in particular?"

"How about a grilled chicken salad, with some more of those strawberries and maybe some mango? Do we have anything of that?"

"I believe we do dear. I'll get started on that and pop back up here to check on you in ten minutes, okay?" Regina simply nodded her head as Robin assisted her in sitting down in the tub. He watched her as she leaned back and let out a satisfied sigh as she closed her eyes.

There was a soft knocking on the door and a soft voice calling out her name.

"Noooo," she whined out. "It hasn't been ten minutes!"

"Oh my love, I promise you it has. I'll drain the water for you and you can rinse off. I brought the tv trays up here." Regina nodded her head as Robin bent down to release the tub stopper so it could drain. Sometimes she hated he was so attentive to her and the pregnancy. She wouldn't have minded a twenty minute soak. Maybe she could get one on Saturday when he was out and about. Of course she would have to find him something to be out and about with. The tub let out a gurgling sound alerting her to the last of the water draining.

"Hey, Robin!" Robin poked his head back around the corner.

"Yes love?" She reached her hands out towards him.

"A little help please?"

"Oh yeah, of course," he bent forward and pulled Regina to her feet. He pecked a kiss on her cheek and she turned the shower on and washed off. Ten minutes later she exited the bathroom with nothing but a towel around her form. She headed over to her dresser to pull out a pair of silk pajama bottoms and pulling out one of Robin's drawers, she pulled out an oversized shirt she was sure would fit over her belly.

"Hey, if you wear all my shirts what am I supposed to wear?" Robin whined as she crossed over to the full sized mirror, picking up the body cream that sat on Robin's night stand. Regina shrugged her shoulders and sat on Robin's side of the bed, handing him the body cream so he could rub down her back.

"Looks like someone might have to do a little bit more of laundry."

"Is that someone you?" Regina grinned at him in the mirror, biting her lower lip.

"Oh, sorry, all those dirty clothes in the laundry basket hurts my back. No heavy lifting. Perhaps you could do it or teach Henry. We wouldn't want anything to happen to me or the baby from such strenuous activities, would we?" Robin finished with her back and rested his hands on her shoulders, pulling her back a little so he could look properly into her eyes.

"Strenuous activities, eh? So I guess sex is out of the question." Regina's mouth dropped open as she let out a surprised gasp. She smacked his arm and retrieved the body cream from his hands to continue rubbing the cream into her freshly cleaned body.

"You've been very gently and kind and I've been very mindful of my body when we engage in sex. I think it's a safer activity for me. We can make modifications to accommodate the belly. Bending down to pick up laundry or trying to reach the bottom of the washing machine to get out all the clothes is a bit difficult with the belly." Regina set the body cream container back on the night stand, pulled on her clothes and sat next to Robin on the bed. They both ate the lunch Robin prepared while they watched whatever show Regina left off of on her DVR recordings from when she was downstairs.

* * *

When Regina woke next the curtains in her room were drawn. The covers were pulled and tucked around her and she could hear the soft pitter patter of rain drops on the outside of her window. She blinked a few times to allow her eyes to adjust to the dimness of the room. The alarm clock blinked eight eleven pm. She leaned up on her elbow and called out to Robin. It was a few minutes, but he soon appeared in the doorway.

"Hey love," he said as he sat down on the bed, pushing a bit of her hair out of the way. "Are you awake?"

"Yeah. How long did I sleep? Why didn't you wake me? Are the boys okay?"

"Shh, shh. You slept for maybe four hours. The boys are fine, they're getting ready for bed. Are you hungry? I made dinner."

"No, I don't want a repeat of last night. I'm still plenty full from lunch. The baby doesn't allow for much food."

"Alright, well you go back to sleep. I'm going to check to make sure the boys have everything they need for bed."

"Okay, hurry back though, I need my human boppy if I expect to get a good night's sleep."

"Is that all you want me for? I could get you the actual boppy if that's the case."

"No, I want you." Robin nodded his head and pecked his wife's forehead with a chaste kiss. Minutes later he returned to their bedroom, stripped of his clothes from earlier in the day, dressed in his pajamas and climbed into bed with Regina. She snuggled down into his welcoming arms, inhaling his warm scent. They both soon drifted off into peaceful sleep, lulled by the rhythmic sounds of the rain outside.

* * *

It doesn't hurt to leave a review, I promise! Just do it!


	31. Quiet Moments

Hey, hope you guys are still out there reading this and enjoying it as much as I am enjoying writing it.

* * *

Soft music echoed through the recently painted room. Robin took a step back to admire his work. He finally finished the mural he and Regina chose for one of the walls in the baby's nursery. A creaking on the floor could be heard just outside the bedroom door. Robin sighed and shook his head, Regina was a little antsy. Nesting had begun.

"I can hear you, ya know. You might as well stop right where you are mi'lady," he called out as he pulled the door open, startling his wife, making her drop the glass of water she carried.

"Damnit Robin," Regina scowled at her husband. He gathered her into his arms in an attempt to soothe her. She went stiff. He caressed her back.

"There, there dear. Serves you right trying to sneak in without permission." Regina pushed away and looked Robin squarely in the face, scoffing at his remark.

"Serves me right? I just want everything to be perfect. We've discussed this, we've even discussed this with Dr. Hopper. I need to be able to worry about this, why won't you let me worry?!" She exclaimed. Robin reached out for his love's arms and rubbed them up and down. She threw her arms up to break his contact. He huffed out an exasperated sigh. Patience. Be patient with her, he reminded himself of Dr. Hopper's words. Regina had been an okay sport throughout the pregnancy for the most part. However, as things were getting down to the wire they found themselves decidedly stressed. There were still things to be purchased such as another vehicle, van or SUV they couldn't decide. They also needed a crib mattress, a stroller, a car seat and perhaps another high chair. Regina was torn between what kind of stroller they needed, a jogger or just a plain stroller and did they need two, one for Robin's car and one for hers and oh, did they need two car seats? And what about a carrier? Cloth diapers or plastic? So yes, the soon to be newish parents were stressed. Robin tried his best to take on her worries, to be the strong one, and as glad as he and Mary – Margaret were that Regina finally gave in to regularly scheduled sessions with Dr. Hopper, he was quite worried when she came to him a few weeks ago, quietly, telling him they needed to have a talk and the talk needed to be in the presence of Dr. Hopper at the behest of Dr. Hopper. Her statement sent him into a near panic, worried what she could possibly need to talk to him about that couldn't be done in the privacy of their own home. The week that stretched on before him was one of the most stressful times in his life, not counting proposing to Regina and fearing she might actually say no.

Regina stilled herself and stalked off down the hallway, tossing a "You better clean that up by the time I return," over her shoulder as she made her way to their bedroom. Robin hung his head and shook it. What indeed had he signed himself up for?. And should Fate be on their side, could they have another child together if this was how she was going to be? Then he thought back to what life might have been like between Daniel and Regina when she was pregnant with Henry, what kind of neurotic mess she was. What a strong partner Daniel must've been and he respected the long departed man even more. Robin bent down and picked up the glass. He made his way over to the hall closet and pulled out a towel to mop up the puddle of water in front of the nursery door. He tossed the towel in the pile of dirty clothes in the closet and headed to the kitchen to refill Regina's glass of water. He made the slow climb back up the stairs to their master bedroom, composing himself, thinking of how he might soothe things over with his wife. The bedroom door was slightly ajar. He lightly knocked on the door to announce his arrival. He pushed the door open, ignoring the "go away" from his wife. She was seated, reclined, on their bed, her legs resting on top of that stupid boppy she had to sleep with every night. He handed her the glass of water. She took it from his hands, rolling her eyes before taking a sip and placing it on the night stand. Robin sat down on the bed beside her, raised his hands, pausing to see if his wife would resist and he began to rub her legs, kneading them, even working his way down to her feet. A small gasp and moan erupted from her lips as he continued his ministrations in silence for a few minutes more.

"You know, we're going to have to talk about it."

"Quiet. I'm trying to relax." Robin shook his head and chuckled.

"Look, you're the one who dragged me to your sessions with Dr. Hopper."

"Yes, because you won't let me see what you're doing in the nursery!"

"And if you recall, in the sessions with Dr. Hopper, this is how I'm helping out with preparing for the baby." Regina turned her head to properly look at her husband. He had a point.

"I still don't see why you won't let me see." Robin paused his motions.

"Do you really need to see it that bad?" Truth is, he had kept the nursery under lock and key. Anything she needed out of the room, be it baby clothes to wash or bottles to sterilize either he or Henry would be the ones to get it for her. It was driving her mad to not be in control. She had many discussions with Dr. Hopper. Dr. Hopper was unsuccessful in convincing Regina it was okay to let Robin paint the nursery with the agreed upon theme without her seeing it. Regina wanted Dr. Hopper to tell Robin to let her see what he was working on. Dr. Hopper reluctantly agreed to meet with both Robin and Regina and ten minutes into the session Dr. Hopper saw he really had his work cut out for him. He thought the sessions with Regina were going rather well despite a few hiccups in their first sessions. He thought they finally hit their groove once her pregnancy progressed into the second trimester. He was wrong. He was impressed with how well Regina maintained her composure in present Robin with her reasons why she should be allowed to see what was going on in the nursery. However, when Dr. Hopper suggested that this was Robin's way of nesting Regina turned into someone he didn't know. It took a lot of effort on both Robin and Dr. Hopper's part to calm her down and have a rational discussion. She reluctantly agreed, but only because she stepped up her attempts to get a glimpse into the nursery.

So here they were, for the umpteenth time, Robin had lost count, discussing what they both agreed to in Dr. Hopper's office. Robin stared into Regina's face, for her eyes were downcast. He reached up to tilt her chin to look at him. She snatched her head away, her scowl deepening. He dropped his hands into his lap and exhaled a long sigh.

"Alright," he plainly stated. She looked up at him, her eyelashes dampened with tears.

"Alright, what?" Robin held out his hands for her to take.

"I'm going to take you to the nursery so you can see what I'm doing in there. The paint is fresh so you might not be able to stand the fumes for too long and it's not quite finished, but rest assure it will be finished before the baby gets here, as long as he stays in there the requisite amount of time." Regina was so shocked, her lips parted in surprise. She reluctantly placed her hands into his outstretched hands and he helped her up off the bed. Robin was quite surprised by her reaction, her pace so slow he felt he was practically dragging her down the hall towards the nursery. A complete turn around from just a few moments ago in which she was pitching a hissy fit. Her hand tightly clasped his and he felt her quaking as they neared the door. He paused in front, unlocking the door and pushing it open. Regina halted. Robin glanced back at her. "What are you doing? I thought you wanted to see it." Regina shook her head.

"I didn't think you'd give in."

"Well I think I've tortured you enough with waiting. Perhaps there are some elements you would like to add maybe? Maybe we could move the furniture around some more? Would that be okay?" She slowly shook her head. "Great, now come on, don't let all that bluster go to waste," Robin said as he pulled his anxious wife behind him.

Now that the moment had finally come, Regina was scared shitless of what kind of disaster he might have created in their child's nursery. In the two years they've been together she hasn't known him to be the artistic type. In fact, she'd wanted to ask a good friend of the family, Marco, to do the mural. She researched some themes on the internet and found one suitable to her liking and showed it to Robin. He enthusiastically shook his head in agreement but frowned his disapproval at asking the older gentleman to do the artwork. Regina had bitten her lip, ambivalence etched into the fine features of her face. Now, now was the time to witness her husband's handiwork and she found herself unprepared. All the sneaking around she'd done was to catch him ruining everything. She would laud it over his head from now until kingdom come, it would be a funny thing, for her at least. Yes, Regina was woefully unprepared for the emotional reveal. She shut her eyes and dug her heals into the floor. Robin gave her hand a gentle tug and she stumble forward. He was right, the paint smell was still fresh; her nostrils flared out.

"Regina, love, open your eyes." Robin moved so that he stood behind her with his hands placed upon her shoulders. Slowly, she blinked her eyes open and let out a gasp. She was truly taken aback by the scene before her. There were the walls they painted together early on in her pregnancy, the softest shade of green, a gender neutral color. Her theme had been Enchanted Forest and the scene before her was definitely enchanting. Words could do no justice. On the far wall opposite where she wanted the crib to sit was a most delightful scene playing out before her. There was a magnificent willow tree that stretched from near the floor with a wide trunk to the ceiling with billowing leaves. There were butterflies and faeries dotted within the leaves. There were rolling hills in which stood a unicorn and a small dragon breathing fire, well attempting. Near the base of the tree sat two small children, boys, boys that looked suspiciously like Henry and Roland. They were reading out of a book with the title 'Once Upon A Time' decoratively displayed on the cover. Atop the older boy's head sat a squirrel peaking over top as if it too were trying to read the words written in the book. The younger boy had a small blue bird resting on his knee. There was also a fox curled up next to the young boy, a quiver of arrows and a small basket of apples resting in front of it. It was all so wonderful, more wonderful than what she imagined. She turned to look at her husband, finally closing her mouth. She tilted her head, reached out a hand and caressed his cheek. He leaned into her embrace, took her palm and kissed it. He pulled her towards him and turned her around in his arms so she could still face the mural. He wrapped his arms around her front and she held tightly onto them as they swayed together to the soft sounds echoing from the blue tooth speaker Robin was listening to earlier.

"I take it mi'lady approves?" Robin spoke after a few moments. Regina turned in his arms and laced her arms around the back of his neck. She sighed. She leaned forward to press a chaste kiss on lips, ever so gentle. He responded in kind, not asking for anything more. He broke their kiss and embraced his wife in a tight hug. She broke away and turned to look once more at the mural her husband painted on the wall.

"So, you did this? All by yourself?" She asked as she approached the mural to further inspect.

"Oh, you wound me!" Robin exclaimed, grasping his chest as if he indeed had been wounded.

"No, I've just never seen you do artsy stuff."

"Well, if you stick around for a few more years there are many other hidden talents you might unearth."

"Really now?" She offered a big grin. "Would one of those talents be moving the furniture around?"

"If that is what you wish."

"It is."

"Alright, what do you want to move first?"

"How about the crib? Put opposite the mural? And perhaps we can put the changing table in the corner by the window?"

"Alright, sounds good. How about the wardrobe?"

"Let's put that by the door."

"Are you going to finish washing these clothes? I can get this stuff moved around while you do that and then we can put the clothes away. How does that sound?"

"I think that sounds perfect," she stated as Robin approached her. She craned her neck to pepper kisses on his lips and across his jawline. She departed from the nursery, content that things were finally coming together; heralding that the arrival of the baby wasn't all that far away.

* * *

There you have it! Please read and review! Offer constructive criticism. Make some suggestions on what would be some great scenarios. I promise I won't bite!


	32. The Colored Caper, Part Un

Alright, I hope you guys are still following along out there! Truth be told, I've been working on this chapter for about two months. I had an idea and then it kinda stalled out on me. Then I was inspired to write some other chapters that go after this chapter – so hopefully I'll be able to post those quicker. Having said that, I was inspired to take this chapter in a different direction and now it has gotten a little out of hand. I'm almost done with it but I decided to break the chapter up into parts. I'm not sure how many yet, depends on the flow. I hope you like it!

* * *

 _She's not going to like this_

 _Oh come Emma, what do you know?_

 _I know she flipped out when she found out we were placing bets on her unborn fetus_

 _Well this is something fun_

 _But you forget, she's not telling_

 _She'll have to tell if we're going to do this_

 _She doesn't like parties_

 _She'll like this one, are you in or not?_

 _I suppose in, if only to see the fallout, cuz it's gonna be big!_

 _Whatevs. I'm gonna go meet Regina for prenatal yoga, wanna join us?_

 _Nope, this body doesn't bend this way and that_

 _Oh? I thought you were quite the gymnast…_

 _Oh don't get me wrong, I can do some poses…but I doubt either one of you want to see that_

"Hey Mary – Margaret, you ready to go?" Mary – Margaret looked up to see Regina descending the stairs, yoga mat in hand. She was feeling well enough in her pregnancy to engage in more physical activities other than the evening strolls they'd been taking. Mary – Margaret was still trying to tone her body up after the birth of Neal so naturally Regina had asked if she wanted to join her Saturday morning prenatal yoga class.

"Yep, just waiting on you."

"Great. Robin! Mary – Margaret and I are gonna head, we'll probably grab some lunch and do a little bit of shopping too. You good?" Regina shouted through the house. Robin exited through the swinging doors from the kitchen and approached his wife. He dropped a kiss on her cheek.

"Yeah, me and the boys'll be fine. We might head out to the park in a little bit, maybe go to the library and pick out some books. Will you be back for dinner?"

"Oh of course! Maybe you and David wanna come over for dinner? We haven't hung out in a while. Have some adult time?" Regina asked Mary – Margaret.

"Oh, yeah, that sounds great! I'm sure David won't mind. Maybe you could have him meet you out at the park later? I left him and Neal sprawled out on the bed. He had a late night last night."

"Aye, someone tried to rob the pharmacy, yeah?"

"Yeah, he wasn't too happy about that occurring so close to the end of his shift."

"Alright babe, we better get going if we want to make it our class on time." Regina pecked a kiss on Robin's cheek. "Love you. Tell the boys I love 'em too when they actually wake up."

"Will do, go and enjoy your day."

* * *

Regina had Mary – Margaret drive them to the yoga studio. They safely arrived ten minutes before class started so Regina could consult with the instructor. Regina quickly exited the car, grabbing her mat and headed towards the studio without waiting for Mary – Margaret.

"Regina! Are you going to wait for me?"

"Sorry! I forgot to pee before we left the house. Grab us a spot up front, okay? Thanks!" Regina tossed over her shoulder. Mary – Margaret shook her head, mumbling to herself "she usually makes sure everyone else pees before they leave the house, why not her?" Mary – Margaret grabbed her mat and purse and headed inside the studio. It was not a very big studio and class size was usually limited to fifteen participants so the instructor could devote individual time should they need it. As instructed, Mary – Margaret headed towards the front of the class despite her timidness. Regina haphazardly laid her mat somewhere close near the front. Mary – Margaret picked it up and moved it next to her mat.

"Oh, Mary – Margaret, I didn't know you were expecting again! How is Neal doing? Is he excited about getting a baby brother or sister? Have you told him yet?" The instructor was a chatty one.

"Oh, no, I'm not pregnant. I'm here with Regina."

"Regina? She's pregnant?!"

"Yeah, about 5 months, I think."

"Wow, and she's just now coming back to yoga?"

"Well, you know she practices at home and sometimes we do the pre natal yoga DVD from the library. She just wanted to get out of the house today. Have a girl's day. Which is – well, weird for her."

"Yeah, that is strange. Well, I'm so excited you lovelies are here!" The instructor went back to setting everything up around her mat in the front. Regina finally made her way back to the instructional area.

"Hey, good, you found my mat. That was a close call." Mary – Margaret turned to look at Regina and seriously consider her friend. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Regina. Why didn't you go to the bathroom before you left the house? Isn't that something you usually fuss at everyone else about?"

"Wh-, well, I was just really anxious to get out of the house. I was excited about getting back into the studio. Get off my case." Mary – Margaret held up her hands, surrendering to the non – argument about going to the restroom she was having with Regina.

"Alright ladies, I'm so glad you could make it out today. We're sure to have a wonderful class. Is it anyone's first time? Raise your hands, please. Anyone? No? Alright, since we're all seasoned practitioners here I might spice it up a little bit. Now, why don't we all stand at the front of our mat and we'll do modified sun salutations?"

Mary – Margaret and Regina positioned themselves at the front of the mat and proceeded to follow the instructor's directions for modified sun salutations. Mary – Margaret was a little unsteady on her feet and Regina took a little bit longer to position her hips properly but eventually they got into the swing of the sequence. They next moved onto strength poses. The instructor engaged the students in Warrior I and Warrior II, offering the support of chairs for those a bit farther along into their pregnancy, such as Regina. Mary – Margaret had to strongly encourage Regina to use the chair for most of the other poses. Eventually their class was over and Mary – Margaret was surprised how sweaty she and Regina were.

"Regina, do you want to shower off before we head out for lunch and shopping? I'm feeling a bit gross."

"Well I didn't bring my bag for showering. If we go home now I'm not sure I'll feel like heading back out."

"Okay I suppose. So where would you like to go for lunch then? Wanna head out to the mall to make shopping easier?"

"Yeah that sounds great, then we'll have our pick of places to eat."

"Great. So what did we need to go shopping for?" Mary – Margaret asked as they finally made their way to the car. Mary – Margaret started the car as they settled in, turning on the air conditioner to cool them off after their vigorous class.

"Well, baby stuff."

"My goodness, haven't you guys got enough baby stuff? I've seen that room. It looks like Baby's R Us threw up in there." Regina scoffed.

"It does not. I'm still pricing out breast pumps and bottles and cloth diapers versus disposable."

"Oooo, being ambitious, aren't we?"

"What do you mean?"

"Breast feeding? Cloth diapers? With a teenager and a five year old? Did you do all that with Henry?"

"Well, we managed to get through breast feeding for about six months before Henry decided it wasn't for him. The cloth diapers didn't exactly work out. I was too frazzled. I think I'm up for the challenge this time around. Oh, and do you still have your Moby wraps? Did you like them?"

"Um, yeah I have them around somewhere. They were great, but I sure am glad Neal learned how to walk. You thinkin' 'bout baby wearing? This is so great, oh my gosh," Mary – Margaret laughed at the entire situation. She never thought Regina would ever think about carrying her baby around in a wrap or using cloth diapers or breast feeding. Mary – Margaret thought Regina was too refined in that regard. She even thought if Regina and Robin ever decided to have another child they would adopt or ask her to be a surrogate. She hadn't known Regina when she was pregnant with Henry. Henry was about one years old when she began dating David and even then it had taken Regina some time to warm up to the presence of Mary – Margaret in her and Daniel's life. Regina was rather private and kept to herself. It was a wonder she and Daniel even found each other given their drastic personality differences. When she saw them together, however, Daniel definitely did bring out the best in Regina. She was a completely different person around Daniel than when she was around her parents.

"Well, no one asked you for the opinion on the matter, I just needed to know if I might be able to borrow or consult with you on the Moby wraps. If this is how you're going to be I'm not so sure I want you involved in the baby's life."

"What? Oh come on now. I'm just teasing. Of course I'll help you. Ask me anything! Although, you were the one I came to for baby advice."

"I know, I know. It's easier to give advice when you're not in the same situation. I'm sure Robin and I will manage just fine. I just haven't really tried the whole baby wearing thing, so that's probably all I will consult you on."

The ride to the mall finished in relative silence as Regina reclined in the passenger seat and dozed for a little bit. Mary – Margaret parked the car and gently shook Regina. Regina's eyes popped open and she looked around sleepily, as if she forgot momentarily what she was doing for the rest of the day. She stifled a yawn with the back of her hand and stretched a little before opening her door and climbing out of the car. She stretched a little more, twisting this way and that before reaching down to grab her bag.

"Alright, first we feast! Then we shop til we drop!" Mary – Margaret nodded her head in agreement and they made the trek to the food pavilion with relative ease.

"So, what do we feel like eating today? The pizza place? They also have pasta!"

"Ugh, no. Italian isn't really agreeing with me and I miss it so much. I think I'll stick with something light. A chicken salad loaded with veggies and croutons. Maybe sweet tea to drink."

"Okay, you go get that and I'm gonna go to the pizza place. Cuz I'm not pregnant and I can eat the pasta." Mary – Margaret headed for the pizza place while Regina headed over to the Chick fil A to get one of their salads. And if she also happened to order herself a large waffle fry, who could blame her?

The pair regrouped at one of the tables by the water feature ten minutes later with their food.

"So, Regina," Mary – Margaret said with a mouth full of pasta.

Regina looked up at Mary – Margaret, eyeing her. "So, Mary – Margaret, mouth full of food," Regina responded.

"Have you thought about any names for the baby? Or were you going with the gender neutral, 'Squishy'?"

"We have tossed around some names, nothing that's struck our fancy."

"You know what would help? Knowing the sex."

"Not this again."

"Oh come on! You can tell me, I won't tell anyone!"

"Lies and you know it. Besides, we don't know the sex."

"What? You went to your appointment a few weeks ago."

"We did, but the baby is rather private about giving out this information."

"You had an amnio."

"I did, but we decided we don't want to know."

"So how am I supposed to plan a gender reveal party?" Regina almost choked on the waffle fry she was in the middle of chewing.

"Pardon me? Gender reveal party? You mean that ridiculous party you and David threw where we had to come dressed in the color of the sex we thought the baby might be? And then you opened a box in which blue balloons floated to the sky?"

"Yeah! Wasn't it fun?"

"For you, perhaps, but that's really not my style. I think Robin and I really just want to keep this experience to ourselves."

"Alright. But what about a baby shower?"

"Baby shower? This is hardly our first child."

"Yeah, but it's your first child together."

"Hmm, I'll talk it over with Robin."

"Yeah! It'll be fun! I can plan everything!" Regina held up her hand.

"I said I would talk it over with him, I'm not making any promises."

"Come on Regina, he'll agree to anything you want." Regina leaned forward a bit and grinned.

"I know."

 _This was a bust_

 _What was?_

 _Shopping with Regina_

 _Oh still trying to figure out what they're having?_

 _Yeah, she claims they don't even know, but I think she does_

 _How do you figure that?_

 _She was looking at those frilly dresses she's always complaining that other moms put on their girls_

 _LOL, she does go on rants about those which is why I doubt you could use that as evidence_

 _Em, how are we supposed to plan this without knowing the gender?_

 _Easy, we don't, because she doesn't want it. Do you want an early death? I don't and you know what she'll do if you do this_

 _You know what, I've been going about this the wrong way_

 _Do tell_

 _I'll simply ask Robin. She can't kill him, he's her husband and the father of her child_

 _Mare, I think you don't know Regina as well as you think you do_

 _Watch me_

* * *

Robin got to lounge around the house for another hour or so before the boys managed to rouse themselves from sleep. Roland actually stayed up to finish both of the movies the night before. Regina, on the other hand fell asleep close to the end of the first move. Henry tried to rouse her a couple of times to watch his movie, but she eventually made her way upstairs so she could get some peaceful sleep. Robin even got to watch the cooking shows he recorded on the Food Network channel. He was tired of his family's gentle teasing about his cooking. One day he was going to cook them the most amazing meal and that would shut them up. Robin could hear the slow approaching steps of a sleep – eyed preteen on the stairs closely followed by the heavy thuds of a five – year old who liked to hop down the stairs when Regina wasn't home.

"Roland, could you not do that right now? I have a headache," Henry complained as he made his way into the kitchen. Henry shoved the door open expecting to see his mother and Robin cooking Saturday breakfast. Roland followed right behind him.

"Aww man, I thought they were down here! They're not in their room."

"I thought so too! They must be around here somewhere, they wouldn't leave us all alone without telling us." Henry went back through the kitchen door and headed towards the den where low rumblings of the television could be heard. Henry motioned with his hands for Roland to be quiet as they snuck behind the sofa Robin was seated on. Henry counted on his fingers, 1, 2, 3, and

"Rawr!" They exclaimed, startling Robin. Robin jumped off the sofa and turned to face the two boys, grabbing for his chest. He gave himself a little shake and fell down onto the floor with dramatic flare. He lay still. Both Henry and Roland looked at each other.

"Robin?" Henry called to the stilled body on the floor. "Robin are you alright?" Roland ran around the sofa and kneeled beside his father, lightly patting his cheeks.

"Daddy? Daddy, wake up! Mama's not here! Henry what do we do?" Roland looked up at Henry, tears threatening to spring forward. Henry approached Robin's body, kneeling, leaned forward to place an ear to his chest. Roland mirrored Henry's motions. Two big strong hands moved ever so delicately behind the boys.

"Rawr!" Robin exclaimed as he clamped his hands down on both boys' backs. Henry and Roland both gave a yelp.

"Robin! That's not funny!"

"Oh, it isn't, is it?" Robin commented as he sat himself up. "Wasn't it funny when you did it to me?"

"Well, yeah."

"Well then it was funny for me to do it to you. However, I strongly caution against you doing this to your mother. She may love you but I wouldn't put it past her to punish you until her dying day."

"Yes sir," Henry responded. Roland nodded his head.

"Alright, your mother's out to yoga and shopping with Mary – Margaret. Whaddya say we call up David and Neal and head to Granny's for breakfast?" Henry and Roland both nodded their heads, grins spreading on their faces. "Alright, go get washed up and put on some clothes and I'll call David." They boys trotted up the stairs. Robin picked up his cell phone and dialed

David's number. It took a couple of rings before a sleep – raddled voice gruffly answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey David, it's Robin."

"Hey man, what's up?"

"I guess not you, ha ha ha"

"Nope, had a late night and Neal's actually letting me sleep in for once. Thanks for interrupting that."

"Sure, no problem!"

"To what do I owe this phone call?"

"Since the wives are out I thought we'd head over to Granny's for breakfast, maybe the park after?"

"Sure, that sounds fine. Let me wake the monster up."

* * *

Robin and the boys headed to the park about an hour after Robin got off the phone with David. Robin even put together a cooler filled with bottled water, juice boxes and trail mix. Henry and Roland were playing with Roland's Batman kite out in one of the more open spaces of the park.

"Hey Robin!" a voice called out just as Robin's eyes had drifted shut. He popped them back open.

"Oh, hey David, how's it going?"

"Great, just great. So it seems we got put on babysitting duty, eh?"

"Welcome to parenthood, my man. Maybe we talk the womenfolk into watching the brood so we can have a guys' night out."

"Yeah! We can have a dad bachelor party."

"A dad bachelor party? Like a regular bachelor party, except with dads?"

"Pretty much, one last hoorah before the baby gets here and you're imprisoned for many, many years to come."

"Ha ha ha, I don't think we should sell it that way to Regina. She's pretty reasonable for the most part."

"Yeah, but still, we should have a guys' night out, work's been pretty stressful lately."

"I hear ya, it has been kinda crazy. Perhaps everyone will get their crazy out now and I can properly enjoy paternity leave."

"Oh, so you decided to take it? How long are you gonna take?"

"I'm not sure, Regina and I haven't discussed anything further than, 'Oh no, you're not leaving me home with a squawking baby by myself for 6 weeks and still expect me to take care of the household,' effectively killing the mood for the fourth attempt."

"Aw man, reached that point have ya?"

"Yeah, I mean, it's so easy to get her worked up, have her body singing with such pleasure and soaking, she's soaked through her underwear, if she has any on cuz she seems to prefer commando lately, and then some idea will pop in her head and next thing I know she's shoving me away! We need to promptly discuss whatever it is right then and there. I love her and I love that she's pregnant and I know the end result will be worth it, but my God! This is torture! I'm getting worried what our sex life will be like after the baby." Robin slapped his hand on this thigh before leaning his elbow on it to look at David with such a mournful look in his eye. David slapped his thigh, startling Robin.

"I know!"

"What?"

"Let's get a puppy."

"A puppy?"

"Yeah, who doesn't love a puppy?"

"I'm not sure Regina will want a puppy. Do you know how long it's taken her to get used to the idea of us having a baby?"

"Yes, but she'll be so distracted with the puppy!"

"She doesn't like surprises. You have an extra room in your loft you'd be willing to rent out to me?"

"It'll be fine! We'll get a cute little puppy with puppy dog eyes that will melt her heart!"

"That wife of yours, I see her optimism is rubbing off."

"We're getting a puppy?" a shy voice startled both of the men, interrupting their conversation.

"Oh, uh hey Roland, did you hear all that?"

"Um, just the part where we get a puppy! Can we go get it now? Where do we get the puppy from? Do we have to get the momma dog pregnant first like mommy? How do we get the momma dog pregnant like mommy? How did mommy get pregnant?" Robin leaned forward to pull Roland into his lap while he tried to gather his thoughts.

"Well, um, you see – "

"We're gonna go to the humane society and see what's already there. Puppy breeding is a terrible thing," David chimed in. Robin shot him a death glare.

"What's puppy breeding?" Roland immediately responded. Robin roughly rubbed his hand down his face.

"Well sometimes people make mommy doggies and daddy doggies have lots of babies without asking the mommy doggies and daddy doggies if they want to have babies and then they sell them."

"Oh." Roland's mouth made a perfect oh. Robin wasn't sure if Roland completely understood his succinct explanation or if he confused the five year old even more, but he stopped asking questions as they continued onto their destination.

* * *

"No, absolutely not," she said with a shake of her head. Robin, David and the boys had walked into the house half expecting Regina and Mary – Margaret to not have returned from their afternoon. They were wrong. Regina caught them trying to sneak in the puppy.

"Oh come on mom! It's a really sweet dog! We took it by Ursula's and she's even impressed!"

"Well if Ursula's so impressed take the dog back to her." Regina turned on her heel and headed towards the kitchen. Robin motioned for the boys to stay in the living room and followed his wife into the kitchen, fully prepared that she might physically hurt him for this stunt. She stood in front of the sink filling a glass for water. She gulped down half the volume before soundly placing the glass on the counter.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" She shrieked out. "A puppy?"

"It was David's idea." Robin replied. Regina scoffed and lifted the glass to drain the remaining liquid and refilled the glass. She was thirsty.

"And you just listened to him? You didn't think maybe to consult with me?"

"We were just going to look and we fell in love with it; love at first sight. We couldn't just leave it there. It was due to be placed on the kill list," Robin pleaded. Regina paused. Her head tilted up towards the ceiling. She blew out a hot breath, blowing the hair that had fallen into her eyes. Her palms leaned heavily against the counter. Robin felt a flicker of hope rise inside him. It was a trump card, he knew. It was a gamble, it was a dirty trick. Pregnant women were emotional. His wife was pregnant, she was emotional. Sure it was a spur of the moment kind of thing. Robin approached Regina from behind, grabbing her on either side of her arms. She stiffened in his touch but didn't pull away. Robin rubbed his hands in a soothing matter up and down her arms. "Come on, Regina. It's perfect. It's a perfect addition to our little family. House, picket fence, mom, dad, three kids and a puppy. It's the American Dream," he finished with a kiss to the side of her neck. Regina turned in his arms and studied her husband's face, trying to read if he really believed the bullshit he was feeding her. She couldn't tell, but she was certain it was bullshit. On the other hand she really couldn't think of a reason to not get a dog. With one last stern look into her husband's eyes she marched back to the den area where everyone waited. She halted in front of them, a stoney look on her face.

"Alright, if we're going to keep the dog, there need to be some rules." Henry and Roland's face brightened as Robin came to stand behind his wife, not knowing himself what crazy rules his wife was going to set. Whatever they were he couldn't argue with them. "Puppies are like babies. They need to be fed, cleaned, trained and they need attention. There is enough going on with this baby on the way," she stated, grasping her pregnant belly for emphasis. "You three," she first pointed at Henry and Roland before pivoting to also point at Robin, "will be responsible for waking up in the morning to take the dog out. You will feed it. You will go with it to obedience training. You will housebreak the dog. When you and Roland return home from school in the afternoon you must take the dog out again. After we've had dinner, take the dog out one last time. Until the dog is housebroken you must be aware of its location at all times. If the dog has an accident somewhere in the house, you will be responsible for cleaning it up. If I find out the dog has had an accident before you have had a chance to clean it up, I promise it will not be fun for you. The dog will be crated at night and during the day when no one is home. After the baby arrives you will still be responsible for handling of the dog and you will also help in being responsible for taking care of the baby. A dog is almost like caring for a child. Perhaps this will be a good lesson for why teen pregnancy is a bad idea." Roland seemed a little lost in her list of rules. Henry stood patiently trying to gage a reaction from his stepfather. Robin simply palmed his chin and tilted his head in the direction of his wife.

"So, if we follow all these rules, we can keep the puppy?" Regina rolled her eyes and pivoted her head towards her husband.

"Yes." Henry and Roland's faces lit up with big grins, both boys jumping up and down, first hugging each other then, hugging Regina. She reluctantly returned the hugs. David, who was standing with Neal on his hip watching the entire exchange, let out a small grin.

"Welp, now that this is all settled, I'm going to get this little guy home. Seeya guys later, okay?" Regina nodded her head and Robin headed to escort David out. Henry stooped to pick up the puppy. Regina reached forward to rub the top of its head. It wriggled in Henry's grip, sniffing and nuzzling her hand.

"So, is it a boy or a girl? Have you guys decided on a name?" Henry looked at his mom.

"Um, no, I don't know." Regina straightened herself. Robin returned.

"You didn't bother to find out the sex of the puppy?"

"We didn't bother to find out the sex of the baby," Robin countered. Regina narrowed her eyes.

"We need to know what the sex of the puppy is so we can get it fixed."

"Fixed? Is the puppy broken?" Roland inquired, bouncing on his toes. Robin looked at Regina. She sighed.

"No, the puppy isn't broken. We just don't want it to have any puppies of its own," Regina answered, bending as far as her waist would allow so she could be eye level with Roland.

"Won't it be sad if it doesn't have puppies?"

"No, it won't be sad."

"How do you know it won't be sad?" Regina straightened herself once more. She couldn't think of a response that might placate the young boy for which sex education was still some years away.

"We just know, son," Robin finally chimed in.

"Alright, we'll take it by the vet later, how does that sound?"

"I should hope so. It will need shots and to be evaluated for worms."

"It came with shots and a 3 month exam at the humane society already."

"But they couldn't tell you the sex?"

"Uh, we didn't ask?" Robin shrugged his shoulders. Robin's phone let out a tone indicating a text message. He pulled the phone out of his pocket and after reading the message he chuckled, piquing Regina's interest.

"What? What's so funny?"

"It's Mary – Margaret. She's asking me the sex of the baby so she can plan a gender reveal party." Regina rolled her eyes.

"Oh god, give me a break. I've told her multiple times we don't know the sex!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air. She settled them across her chest, folded, resting on her baby bump. Her face returned to a neutral state before her lips quirked in a grin.

"Regina? What's that look for?"

"Nothing, I know how to get Mary – Margaret off our backs."

"How?"

"Just a moment." Regina reached for her phone and sent a text message.

"Who are you texting?"

"Mary – Margaret."

"What did you text her?"

"Oh nothing, I just told her she could throw us a gender reveal party next Saturday."

"So we are going to find out the sex?"

"Yes, yes we are."

* * *

Alright, that was part one. Let me know what you thought. Hopefully I'll be able to complete part two and/or part three once I figure the out chapter.


	33. The Colored Caper, Part Deux

Okay, I intended to post this sooner, but Windows 10 sucks and so I decided to just get a new old lap top instead. And now, onto the story!

* * *

It was a nice sunny morning in Storybrooke. The residents were out and about, going to Saturday market, picking up groceries, perhaps the dry cleaning or just out for a nice stroll in the park around the pond. The Mills – Hood family gathered around a picnic table in the park. Balloons of pink and blue served as centerpieces for the decorated tables. Robin and David situated themselves in front of the onsite grill, watching the chicken, burgers and hotdogs. Mary – Margaret and Emma greeted a smattering of coworkers and friends. Regina was highly impressed with how quickly Mary – Margaret pulled together the event. It almost made Regina a little sad, for what was about to happen, but only a little bit. Mary – Margaret made eye contact with Regina, offering a very excited grin. Regina smiled a tight grin in return. She fiddled with the paper tablecloth, watching nervously as the guests situated themselves under the pavilion.

"Hey Reg," Mal finally made her way over to her work best friend.

"Hey, glad you could make it on such short notice."

"Yeah, I was surprised to get the invite given how dead set against this you were. What changed?"

"Oh, nothing's changed."

"Well if nothing's changed why are we here for a gender reveal?"

"Because it means sooo much to Mary – Margaret. I just want to teach her a lesson."

"A lesson?"

"Yeah."

"Care to let me in?"

"No, nope, not gonna happen. Let's just sit back and enjoy the festivities." Mal leaned back a little on the bench and sighed. She knew Regina was cutthroat so that made Mal a little wary of what exactly the woman had planned if it wasn't really a gender reveal at the gender reveal party. More friends and coworkers came up to Regina to offer greetings before seating themselves and socializing a bit. "Excuse me a moment, Mal. Squishy is feeling famished."

"Do you want me to grab you something? Make you a plate with snacks?"

"Oh, how sweet of you to ask. I wasn't sure you had a sweet side. But I really want some meat."

"They've got lunchmeat."

"I can't eat cold cuts."

"Wha?"

"Yeah, Listeria – it's a terrible thing for the baby."

"Oh, okay."

"Maybe you can get pregnant one day and enjoy the long list of foods you cannot eat when you're pregnant. Starting with those smoke salmon rolls you love so much." Regina smirked before heading off to find her husband still standing in front of the grill with David, sipping on a bottle of beer.

"Hey babe, enjoying yourself?" Regina nervously rubbed her hands together and stepped into her husband's side. He opened his left arm to gather her close while he turned a burger with the other hand.

"There are a lot of people. I didn't know we knew so many."

"Relax, it's okay. They're here to support us."

"It almost makes me feel guilty for all of this." David stared at Regina.

"Guilty? For what?" Regina's head snapped up in the direction of David's voice. She forgot he was helping Robin grill the meats.

"You'll find out soon enough, but this is partly your fault anyway."

"My fault? I don't even know what's going on. Robin, what's she on about?"

"Oh, no need to worry mate, it won't hurt, too much." Robin let out a chuckle. He removed his arm from around Regina to grab the pan resting on the side of the grill.

"Is the food ready? Squishy is about to pass out."

"Regina, why didn't you grab something to eat?"

"I really just want meat. I don't think I can stomach the stuff on the snack table." Robin rolled his eyes."Alright, alright. Here, this burger's done." Regina's face lit up as she took the burger from Robin and leaned up to kiss his cheek. She scampered off to the snack table to pick out her condiments.

"Alright Robin, what are you two up to?"

"Nothing."

"No, you're plotting something." Robin paused for a moment before stepping closer to David.

"Alright, you can keep a secret, unlike your wife, right?" David nodded his head, motioning his hand across his lips as if he were zipping them up.

* * *

"Alright everyone! I hope you're enjoying yourselves! I know this has already been said, but Robin and Regina are so glad you could make it out here to celebrate with them. I also want to thank them for letting me do this for them," Mary – Margaret stated as she glanced over at Regina. Regina visibly tensed, tightening her hold on Robin's hand. Mary – Margaret had no idea how nervous Regina could be. Emma stood next to Mary – Margaret, a smile plastered on her face. "And now, the moment we've all been waiting for!" Robin let go of Regina's hand and motioned towards Henry and Roland. Roland walked up with the newest member of their family following close behind on a leash, while Henry carried a medium sized box decorated with pink and blue wrapping paper. Only Robin and Regina knew what was inside the box Mary – Margaret had so carefully decorated. Robin took the box from Henry and set it on the table before them. Regina grasped Robin's hand in hers as they both worked to open the box. Regina decided to go with Mary – Margaret's idea of balloons. After the flaps were opened, pink balloons floated to the top of the pavilion. Cheers erupted from lips, some "aw man's" could be heard echoing throughout the pavilion along with clapping. Mary – Margaret clasped her hands together and bounced slightly on her toes. She grinned and started to run to embrace Regina. David stood close by and grabbed at her shoulders. She glanced at her husband, confusion evident across her face.

"Let them finish, dear," David calmly stated. Regina nodded her head at Robin.

"Regina and I would like to thank you for joining us for this special occasion. I'm sure you know we adopted this little darling last weekend," Robin said as he bent to pick up the puppy from behind Roland. "We would like to introduce you to the newest member of the Mills – Hood family, Penelope Rose. It's a girl." The pavilion went eerily silent as comprehension dawned on everyone's features; shock even. Mary – Margaret's face went quickly to scowling. She stepped up to Regina, pulled her to the side and spoke in a harsh whisper.

"Regina! How could you?!"

"I'm sorry. I know how much you wanted to do a gender reveal party, no matter how much Robin and I insisted we didn't want to do the party, especially since we don't know what the sex is."

"So, you really don't know?"

"No, we don't. Now, if you're done, can we get back to the party?" Mary – Margaret nodded her head. Regina rejoined Robin. All of their guests seemed a little disgruntled.

"Well, that wasn't very nice little sis'. I came all the way from Kansas for a gender reveal party and this is the kind of crap you pull?" Regina's head snapped into the direction of a voice she hadn't heard since her wedding. Regina's eyes welled with tears. She quickly dropped Robin's hand and hurriedly walked to where her older sister, Zelena, stood with her husband Walsh. Regina reached forward to hug her sister tightly. Zelena resisted at first but eventually returned the hug. After a few silent moments Regina pulled back.

"You're here? You came down for this?"

"Uh huh," Zelena nodded her head. "And you didn't even tell me you were expecting!"

"I know, I'm sorry. It wasn't planned or anything and we're terrible at keeping in touch with each other." Zelena nodded her head. Regina's arms dropped to grasp both of Zelena's hands. She gave them a firm shake before letting go.

Returning to Robin's side, Regina cleared her throat. "I know you may think this some sort of cruel joke, I assure you it was not meant to be. Officially, for the record, Robin and I have no idea what the sex of our child is. We want to be surprised for when we actually deliver and I hope you all will respect our decision. We do thank you for joining us. We enjoyed having you all here with us. Please, if there's any food left over, take it with you. I may be eating for two, but I seriously _cannot_ eat all of that food." Robin and Regina smiled and waved to everyone who seemed like they accepted their heartfelt apology and began packing up their things. Regina eventually wandered back over to Zelena, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. Zelena reached out once more to grasp her younger sister's hands and pulled her into an embrace. For them, the world stopped. There was nothing alive or dead in that moment except for the two of them. At worst, the two sisters perhaps spoke to each other during the holidays. At best, their relationship was strained. So for Zelena to show up to Regina's baby gender reveal party that turned out to not be a gender reveal party really cut Zelena deep, as well as Regina. Mary – Margaret came to stand behind them. She cleared her throat.

"I see you found my surprise." Regina and Zelena let go over each other. Regina turned to Mary – Margaret and enveloped her in the biggest hug she's ever received from Regina. She wasn't sure Regina had ever hugged anyone so tight. Mary – Margaret could barely move her arms in order to return the hug.

"I'm so sorry I tricked you, and if you tell anyone I apologized to you for something I shall have your heart," Regina choked out in sobs. Regina eventually let go and Mary – Margaret stroked her face.

"Zelena's only in town for a few days, so don't let me hold you two up. I'll see ya 'round, I'm sure." Regina nodded her head and gave Mary – Margaret a squeeze on the arms before she returned to David and Neal.

"My goodness, look at you. Married and knocked up, again." Zelena said awkwardly, hoping to break the tension.

"I know, I know. It's all so overwhelming."

"Well, why don't we head back to your house and you can tell me everything." Regina gaped at her sister, not sure who this person was staring back at her.

"I, uh, well,"

"Don't be so shocked. I can be civil. I can be mature."

"You're not mad?"

"Oh, I am mad, but what's the point? Let's live in the here and now, shall we? We don't need to waste any more time, neither one of us is getting younger and without mother around we're all we have left, aren't we?" Regina slowly nodded her head and wrapped her arms around Zelena once more. This is something more along the lines of what she wanted in an older sister and now that she finally had it she was a little underprepared for her emotional response.

"Uh, yeah, let me go talk to Robin. We need to load all this stuff up into the car."

"Would you like for us to help? Then we can follow you back to your house?"

"Yeah, sounds perfect."

Regina headed back over to Robin and David who were gathering presents that party goers brought with them, which was surprising given the short notice, they haven't registered for anything and it wasn't an actual baby shower. Regina smiled at the thoughtfulness of it all.

"Hey babe, you 'bout ready to go?" Robin asked.

"Yeah," she responded, rubbing his arm up and down. Robin tilted his head in the direction of Zelena.

"You guys good?" Regina smiled and nodded.

"I think so. She's going to come back to the house, we're gonna chat for a bit."

"Okay, want us to get out of your hair?" Regina cocked her head to the side.

"I hadn't really thought that far. Perhaps it would be best. And you could take Walsh with you? Maybe come back around dinnertime? That should give us enough time for now." Robin nodded his head.

"Yep, sounds great. David's just helping me load this stuff up. Give us maybe fifteen minutes?"

"Alright, I'll help Mare pack up the rest of the food."

* * *

"Would you like anything to drink? Soda, water? Juice, gin? Red, white?" Regina called out to her sister as she finished putting away that last few remnants of food from the gender reveal party. Zelena's hesitant footsteps followed her into the kitchen.

"Um, maybe some red wine?"

"Great!" Regina exclaimed as she brought out two glasses and popped the cork on the Malbec she pulled from the liquor cabinet.

"You're having a drink too?"

"Yeah, it's totally fine!"

"Um, alright."

"Now that that's settled, why don't we head into the den and sit, hmm?" Zelena nodded her head as Regina handed her her glass and went through the kitchen door to the den. They both situated themselves on the sofa, Regina in the corner with her legs drawn underneath her. She knew she would have to change position soon, but for now this suited her.

Now that they were seated, an awkward silence descended upon the estranged sisters. They each took a slow sip of their wine before settling the glasses in their hands. They stared at each other, sizing each other up. Zelena takes in her sister's pregnant appearance. Regina studies her sister's face, traces of aging settled on her features and trying to decide if the bright shiny red hair was a dye job or her natural hair color. Regina then placed her wine glass onto the coffee table and then stretched her legs out in front of her towards Zelena on the opposite side of the sofa.

"Could you be a dear and put that pillow underneath my calves?" Zelena nodded and did as her sister requested. "Now, tell me, dear sis, how did Mary – Margaret manage to get you up here? And on such short notice?"

"Well, right into it then?"

"Might as well get this over with now, it'll be easier."

"Right, well, actually I was thinking of visiting anyway, come visit the family mausoleum, visit with mother. I miss her terribly. And then I got to thinking of you and how we really don't talk to one another for some strange reason I can't quite figure out, but now that we're older I think it's time to set aside our grievances." Regina nodded her head and readjusted herself. She pursed her lips, as if in deep reverent thought.

"Hmmm, I suppose."

"You're remarried now. You seem happier now."

"I am; I am so so very happy," she responded with a slight grin. "And you? Are you happy?"

"Overall, yes."

"Overall?"

"Well, life hasn't exactly been fair to me."

"Oh, here we go again."

"No, no, hear me out, please? This is why we're talking, yeah? To get it all out? No judging. Just truly listening to each other for once in our lives." Regina tilted her head and nodded for her sister to continue. "Now, as I was saying, life hasn't exactly been fair to me. We didn't know each other existed until I was eleven years old and you were seven. I'm not sure what is was like for you when that happened, but I was ecstatic. I was finally going to get to know the mother I never knew I had. And then I found out she had a whole 'nother family. Another husband and another daughter. Where did I fit in? She wasn't exactly mother of the year either. But I so desperately wanted her love. However she was willing to offer it, I would take it. It's what you do when you're desperate for affection and love. A single father is not a nurturer. My father did his best, but you really need two parents." Regina sighed and nodded, urging Zelena to continue. "So we had a tumultuous childhood together, and tumultuous teens and we eventually decided that there was no way we would ever be able to tolerate each other unless mother made us. I married Walsh. I thought mother would be proud, glad I found a husband as great as he. Then you married Daniel."

"Well, she wasn't exactly over the moon about Daniel," Regina interjected.

Zelena tilted her head down and smirked. "No, no she wasn't. But you followed your heart, you married for love."

"You don't love Walsh?"

"Not at first. Love came later. I know he loved me long before I had the courage to love him properly. I didn't know what love was, how to give it or how to receive it. For some strange crazy reason we stuck through it. And now that we somewhat have our lives together we decided to have a child." Regina let out a gasp. Tears pricked the edges of her eyes, uncertain where this conversation might go.

"Oh, don't worry, we haven't been trying very long. I must say though, when Mary – Margaret called to say she was throwing you a gender reveal party I was angry, at first. I knew how much trouble you'd gone through to conceive Henry and then trying to get pregnant again and then everything else that happened, shocked was the next emotion. I was truly surprised you remarried and it's barely your first anniversary and you're already expecting." Regina nodded her head and wiped the tears that fell from her eyes. Talking about Daniel always made her emotional and her wacky hormones certainly did her no favors.

"Believe you me, this baby was nowhere on our list of things to do as a married couple." Zelena drew her head back.

"No?"

"No, complete and utter surprise."

"How did you find out?"

"Mary – Margaret."

"No! How did she know before you?"

"Well, she suspected I might be pregnant, then tricked me into taking a pregnancy test and withheld the results from me. After finding out, I stressed myself out so much making sure everything was okay with the baby before announcing we were pregnant. We announced it at the Christmas get together we had."

"Oh, the one I wasn't invited to."

"Well, sorry about that. It was our first Christmas together, I was really nervous about it all and you're not really that big into Christmas anyway." Zelena nodded, pursed her lips and glanced away. She took another sip from her glass.

"That may be very well true, but you should still invite someone regardless of whether or not you'll think they'll come."

"I'm sorry, but listen, you're here now and you said you wanted to get everything out without judgment, so that's what we're doing, right?"

"Right. Okay. So, tell me, when are you due?"

"I'm due the twenty – second of June."

"Oh, good, that's not too far away. Are you doing well?"

"Yeah, yeah, other than a slight scare earlier on, everything's actually been pretty great!"

"A slight scare?"

"Yeah, round ligament pain. You'd think I knew how that felt given it's not my first pregnancy."

"Well, different strokes for different folks."

"Mmmm."

"How is everything else coming along? Do you have the nursery set up?"

Regina nodded her head. "Yep, Robin finished painting a most beautiful mural a few weeks ago and he moved the furniture around a bit. I think it's all coming along nicely. We just need a crib mattress and I need to get all the clothes washed and put away," she chuckled, "and believe it or not, I was thinking about cloth diapers, so I've been researching different brands. Do you have any suggestions?"

"Oh, asking me for baby advice now?"

"Well, you are a midwife, right?"

"I suppose I am. I don't dispense advice for free, ya know. Everything comes with a price."

"Oh? And what is yours?" Regina narrowed her eyes as she took another sip of her wine.

"A clean slate." Regina quirked her eyebrow, almost choking on her swallow of wine.

"A clean slate?"

"Yes, as sisters, as family, like we should be. We need to call each other at least once a week, just to check in on each other, make sure our sanity is still intact. We need to visit with each other at least twice a year, I come here, you head out to Kansas. Does this sound okay?" Regina slowly nodded her head as she considered her sister's 's not sure what's responsible for the turn around in her sister's behavior, she's actually quite wary, but since the woman is offering an olive branch, who is she to refuse?

"Okay, I don't think those demands are too hard to meet."

"Demands?"

"Well, yeah."

"Okay, alright." Zelena sat up, moving herself closer to Regina and extended her hand. Regina sat puzzled for a moment before extending her hand and shaking it. Then Zelena drew Regina's hand closer to her so she could envelop her in a hug. They both sat there in that embrace for quite some time, each shedding tears for only their hearts knew what. But it was welcoming, it was therapeutic. It was as if all the years they spent hating each other seemed to wash away.

The embracing sisters is how Robin and Walsh found them upon their return to the house. It seems giving them time alone together wasn't such a bad idea as both men surmised. They directed the boys towards the kitchen so they could eat dinner. Zelena and Regina joined them shortly after. They all dined together and carried on conversation as if it were a family dinner they had every Sunday evening.

* * *

After dinner Regina, along with Zelena, went on about the family's night time routine while Robin and Walsh relaxed in the den with beer.

"Well those two seem to be getting along," Zelena commented.

"Was there any doubt they would get along?" Regina responded as she pulled the shirt from Roland's head. The little boy grinned up at Regina and she bopped him on the nose. "Think you can finish getting undressed while I run your bath?" Roland nodded his head and stood up from his bed to pull off his pants. Zelena followed Regina down the hall towards the hallway bathroom the boys shared. Regina paused in front of Henry's doorway. "Henry, dear, please take the dog out and then put her in the crate when you return, okay? Roland should be finished with his bath and then you can take your shower, okay?"

"Sure mom," Henry responded as he hopped off his bed and sprinted down the hallway to retrieve the dog.

"So, have you decided where you guys want to stay tonight? Granny's or here?" Zelena chuckled. "What?" Regina responded, surprise evident in her voice.

"Is there room for us?"

"Sure there is! There's my office downstairs. There's a fold out sofa in there."

"Is it comfortable?"

"Oh, yes indeed it is," Regina, her voice dropping an octave.

"Eww," Zelena gave a wave of her hand, "I don't wanna know how you know that."

"Let's just say there was a broken AC last summer and it gets hot upstairs."

"I suppose if you don't mind the extra company Walsh and I have no problem staying here with you guys."

"Great! And you can watch the boys while we're at work."

"I beg your pardon?"

"It's Spring Break this week. They'll love to bond with you two! Get in some practice for when you have kids."

"Thanks, you're so considerate," Zelena responded, voice dripping in sarcasm. Regina pulled herself to her feet after testing the water she drew for Roland's bath. She smiled and reached out a hand to stroke Zelena's arm.

"I'm really, really glad you came," she said, offering a smile. Zelena returned the gesture.

"I'm really, really glad I came as well."

* * *

I decided to introduce Zelena into the storyline. I'm excited about writing this relationship into the storyline and I hope you are too! Seeya next chapter!


	34. Happy New Year

I know it's been a while since I've updated, but it's taken time to put this chapter together. It was a suggestion from a reviewer and I hope I've done an alright job. I have taken some liberties so please forgive me for that.

* * *

Emma finished spreading the red rose petals across Robin and Regina's bedroom. She took a step back to admire her handiwork. Nodding her head in appreciation, she checked the CD player to make sure the CD she burned earlier was queued up. Next she set about placing pillared candles around the room, some on the dresser, some on the night stand tables and some in the bathroom. How she got tasked with setting up this lover's den, she wasn't sure. Robin had come to her and Mary – Margaret, wanting to do something special for Regina for their first wedding anniversary. Mary – Margaret had a few misgivings given how the Mills – Hood treated her at the gender reveal party. It took quite a lot of begging on Robin's part, even a promise of watching Neal for Mary – Margaret and David on three separate occasions. Eventually Mary – Margaret caved and preparations were underway. Unfortunately, Mary – Margaret roped Emma into her stupid shenanigans. Emma loathed every spare minute she had to spend with the pixie cut haired brunette, but at least she got bear claws and hot chocolate out of it. On the other hand, some small part of her was glad she could help celebrate her friends and their marriage. It was only eight thirty in the evening. Emma had made quick work of her task and now she had plenty of time for lounging around and exploring the house, awaiting Robin's text to signal they were on their way home so she could light the candles in the bedroom and make herself scarce.

Emma first made her way down the hall towards the baby's nursery. Up until a few weeks ago Robin held the room under lock and key while he worked earnestly on decorating the room. Every now and then she and Mary – Margaret were forced to listen to Regina bemoan the fact that she had no earthly idea what Robin might be doing to their child's room and it was driving her bananas. The only way to get her to shut up about it was a trip to Granny's for a double cheeseburger with onion rings and a milkshake, no whipped cream and three cherries. Sometimes they would have to go to the ice cream shop and get her a fudge sundae, mostly more fudge than the actual ice cream part. Emma chuckled to herself as she turned the knob of the nursery door. Her mouth gaped open at the sight before her eyes. She was in complete awe of the Enchanted Forest motif Robin painted. Regina had shown them a rough sketch that she had the art department at the publishing company mock up for her but the final product did it no justice. Emma had no idea Robin could paint, in fact she wonders if he had help from Marco, the town's infamous carpenter. She wandered over the wall to gently glide her fingers over the fine detailing of the tree and the woodland creatures scattered throughout. She stooped lower to take in the painting of the two young boys that bore a striking resemblance to Henry and Roland. Next, she stood up and worked her way over to the glider and rocked it back and forth. The crib drew her attention as she stood, peering down and imagining herself in this position. Imagining if she could have a child, did she want one and did she want one with Killian. Did Killian want kids. She absentmindedly twirled the celtic knot ring on her finger. She sighed, those were imaginings for another day.

* * *

Regina was seated in the car, blindfold over her eyes. She'd been kidnapped, shanghaied and she had no idea where she was. She was disoriented and found herself on the verge of a panic attack. She hated not being in charge. She was trying her best to tamper her nerves. The afternoon had started out innocent enough. Regina wanted to go baby shopping and who better to tag along than Mary – Margaret. Regina had finally settled on a brand of wraps, cloth diapers and breast pump. Mary – Margaret suggested Regina finally sign up for a registry so that she could throw her a baby shower, afterall Regina owed her that much given the disaster of the gender reveal party. Regina reluctantly agreed if it meant that Mary – Margaret wouldn't bother her with the details of the shower, just tell her where and when and she'd do her best to show up. And there would be no bow hat or measuring of her belly. Mary – Margaret snapped her mouth shut and nodded her head in agreement with the terms for she really had no choice if she wanted to throw the shower. Strange then that once they were done shopping for baby items Mary – Margaret managed to drag Regina back to that stupid maternity clothing store and insisted Regina pick out a nice low cut dress that showed off her curves. Strange that Mary – Margaret insisted Regina wear the clothing out of the store and even stranger still Mary – Margaret somehow managed to blind fold Regina for a secret surprise. To say Regina was pissed was an understatement. And now she had the blindfold on and had made a promise not to take it off under penalty of releasing Emma's picture of Regina with toothpaste on her face. The car had come to a stop after what felt an eternity.

"Mary – Margaret are we quite done with this silly game of yours? I'm starting to freak out here."

Silence.

"Mary – Margaret? Mare? Where are you? What are you doing?" Regina heard the driver side door open and shut. A heartbeat and then her passenger side door was pulled open. "Mary – Margaret what are you up to?" A strong hand grasped hers. It wasn't Mary – Margaret's delicate hand, oh no. This hand was warm and slightly calloused from hard work. She gasped. "Robin? Is that you?" A warm breath from a chuckle graced her cheek. The mystery person placed a finger on her lips to silence her. The hand pulled her forward and she reluctantly followed in step. Her movements were so hesitant the person leading her stopped walking and dropped her hand. "What's going on? Can I take the blindfold off now?" Silence. Big strong arms wrapped around her to carry her to wherever their mysterious destination was. She wrapped her arms around her mystery person to secure herself. Nuzzling into their neck she whispered, "I know it's you Robin, I can smell your pine scent." She kissed his cheek and felt the rumble of a low laugh in his chest. She relaxed into his hold. Eventually he came to a stop and placed her gently on her feet. "Can I take the blindfold off now?"

"No, just a few more steps, okay? Just trust me," the mystery man finally spoke. He took her hands and led her up a few steps before backing her into a chair and seating her. Then in a flourish he removed her blindfold. She wasn't prepared for the sight before her eyes. They were in the gazebo in the park where'd they'd gotten married almost a year ago, for it was still a few days before their anniversary. There were dainty lights woven throughout the trellis. There were strings of lights radiating from the light fixture in the rough of the gazebo. The table was wonderfully decorated with colors from their wedding. Candles were lit and champagne sat in a bucket at the side of the table. Robin stood across from her, waiting for her to take it all in before seating himself.

"Happy Anniversary, love," he grinned. Her eyes pricked with tears and she let out a slight laugh.

"My goodness, dear husband, I must say I am thoroughly impressed and pleasantly surprised."

"Good, but this is just the beginning of what I'm sure will be a most wonderful evening."

"I hope so. I also hope this evening doesn't last too long. I was out all afternoon shopping with Mary – Margaret and I did not get my afternoon nap. You know that makes me cranky."

"I know love, I know, but just try, for me, okay?"

"I make no promises, but I will try," she responded. A movement in her periphery startled her. Mary – Margaret moved from where she was standing carrying two plates with food. She sat one plate in front of Regina and the other in front of Robin.

"A light garden salad with spring mix, strawberries, walnuts, feta and a light strawberry balsamic vinaigrette." She took a step back, clasped her hands in front of her and took a slight bow. Regina chuckled and nodded in response.

"Who's watching the boys?"

"David is having a guys' night with Killian," Mary – Margaret responded.

"I suppose that's alright."

"Don't worry, they'll be fine! This night is for the two of you. I'll be back in a little while with the main course, sound good?"

"Yes, thanks Mary – Margaret," Regina nodded her head in Mary – Margaret's direction and the pixie – haired brunette disappeared back into the shadows from whence she came. Regina offered her husband a wide grin before picking up her fork and eating some of the salad. Robin mirrored her actions and they ate in silence for a few minutes. Regina every now and then set her fork down to sip some water. Eventually both of their plates were clean.

"So, whadya think?" Robin asked once Regina placed her fork down.

"I," Regina started, reaching for her husband's hand, "think that you are an excellent husband and I, am a shitty wife." Robin stared aghast at his wife's comments.

"Whadya mean you're a shitty wife?"

"I completely forgot to do anything special for you on our anniversary. I think I may have even let it slip my mind."

"Well, to be honest, that was the idea. I didn't want you to have to worry about a thing! You have enough on your plate. Believe me, this is the least I can do for you. In fact, I only have a few more weeks before my present arrives." Regina smirked at her husband.

"Online shopping with our household account?"

"No, don't be silly. I'm talking about Squishy," Robin replied, nodding towards Regina's protruding stomach. She released Robin's hand and leaned backwards in her chair, smoothing circles on her belly. "Is she moving now?" Regina chuckled and tilted her head as if she was trying to detect any motion."A little bit, granted, there's not much room left in there and still a lot more time to go," she stated, tap tapping on her belly to see if she could get the baby to move in a more responsive manner. Robin rose from his seat and approached Regina, kneeling before her. "What are you doing, silly?"

"Shhhhh, I'm trying to feel," he said as he placed an ear on her belly and poked around. After a few moments he was rewarded with a jab to his ear. His wife chuckled. "What was that?"

"Serves you right. Mmmm, not sure maybe a foot," she responded as she ran her hands through his hair. A few more moments passed before they heard the slow approach of footsteps, presumably Mary – Margaret's, and she looked to be carrying the rest of their meal.

"Here ya guys go," she stated as she placed the dishes on the table and removed the now empty salad plates. "Baked chicken with a rosemary and lemon glaze and roasted asparagus." Once again, Mary – Margaret retreated back into the shadows. Robin returned to his seat and Regina leaned forward to inhale the aromatic flavors floating from the dish before her.

"Goodness, this smells wonderful. Where did you get this from?"

"Who said I purchased this from somewhere?"

"Well this certainly seems beyond your culinary skills Mr. Beanie Weenies," Regina joked lightly.

"What? I'll have you know I can cook things besides Bean Weenies. It's just what Roland likes to eat."

"He likes to eat that because that seems to be the only dish you don't screw up."

"Mi'lady, I take offense!" Robin grasped his chest as if he'd been mortally wounded. Regina cut into her chicken and lifted it to her mouth.

"Oh. My. God. This is absolute heaven."

"Hey, hey, slow down. Don't want you to choke," Robin commented as he too took a bite of the chicken. "Oh wow, this is good." Regina glanced up towards her husband, a knowing look graced her features. "What?"

"I knew you didn't cook this."

"Alright, you got me. It was Killian."

"Killian?" Robin nodded his head. "Seriously?"

"As serious as a heart attack my dear."

"Hmmm, I wonder if it would be in poor taste to divorce you so soon after our one – year anniversary and marry Killian instead."

"What? Hey! You're carrying my kid in there, you're pretty much mine now."

"Ah, but you see, dear husband, I belong to no one."

"Well, that may be true, but that child binds us together, forever."

Their light banter continued on until there was just a little bit of food left on Regina's plate. Robin stood up and popped the cork on the champagne, offering a toast.

"To my dear, sweet, wonderful, adorable wife. Thank you for taking this second chance with me. A second chance with love, a second chance with marriage, and a second chance with another child. There is no other place I'd rather be than right here with you, in this life. Happy Anniversary, love." He planted a kiss upon her cheek and they clinked their glasses together.

"My dear sweet husband, you're too good to me. How am I supposed to top that?"

"Well, you can't really, can you?"

"I'll let you have this for now."

"Don't worry. As I said before, this is for you. Now, are you done eating? There's more to get to."

"There's more?"

"Yep."

"Well, to be honest, I wasn't lying when I said there was no more room in my belly. Is there a way we can package this up. I'll probably be hungry a little later."

"Uh, yeah, sure. Hang on a bit." Robin dashed off from the gazebo and returned a bit later with Mary – Margaret in tow.

"No room for dessert?" She queried.

"Dear god, no. I feel like a beached whale."

"Alrighty then. Well, off you two go. I'll clean up here. Enjoy the rest of your evening."

Robin grabbed Regina's hand and pulled her from her seat. They walked hand in hand towards the crossover vehicle.

"This isn't exactly a date night car."

"Aww, shush, it's fine. We're just heading back over to the house anyway."

"The house? I hope you don't have too much planned because I'm exhausted."

"Well, I did plan on putting you to bed," Robin responded cheekily.

"Pretty sure I'm exhausted," was Regina's only reply. Robin simply nodded. He situated Regina into the car and sent a text to Emma, signaling their return to the house.

* * *

Emma was on her second episode of _Once Upon A Time_ when her phone chirped, notifying her of an incoming text message. It was from Robin, it said "go time". Emma hopped off the sofa and scurried upstairs to light the candles she set up earlier and started the CD player. After lighting the fifth candle she realized that perhaps it wasn't the wisest of decisions to set out so many. She headed into the bathroom and started water for a bath, adding in lavender oil for relaxing. It wouldn't take the couple long to return to the house. She continued lighting the candles while the water ran. She shut the water off just in time to see lights pull into the driveway. She was meant to be out of the door already. She quickly scrambled down the stairs and skittered into the dining room just in time to hear the front door open. Emma quickly dove behind the dining room table, knocking a few of the chairs.

"Alright love, here we are," Robin said as he pushed the front door open. He guided Regina through the door. She paused in the foyer to allow Robin to shut the door and guide her over to the stairs.

"You weren't kidding about putting me to bed, were you?"

"I want this to be a special night for you. Here, let me take your coat." Robin helped Regina out of her coat and placed it in the hall closet. "And now I will go put these leftovers in the kitchen, you head upstairs, okay?" Regina smirked and took to the stairs. Now was Emma's chance.

"Robin!" Emma called in a loud whisper when he walked by the table.

"Emma! What are you still doing here?" Robin crouched low to talk to Emma.

"I know, but timing running bath water and lighting the candles so the house doesn't burn down or flood is hard."

"Okay, well get out of here before Regina sees you," he cautioned.

"Well I don't really understand why we need the secrecy. Mary – Margaret served you guys dinner." Just then the pair could hear Regina's footsteps on the stairs.

"Robin? Who are you talking to?"

"Crap, how am I supposed to get out now?!" Robin motioned for Emma to stay silent.

"Uh, no one dear, you're hearing things," he hollered to his wife.

"No, I hear you talking and I don't think it's to yourself, who are – fuck." There was a series of loud thuds on the stairs. Robin and Emma rushed forward towards the stairs.

"Regina! Regina! Are you okay?" Regina was reclined on the last few steps, rolled into her side and tears were leaking through her eyes. Both Robin and Emma were at her side, grasping her arms and pulling her into a seated position.

"Does it look like I'm okay?!" Regina lashed out.

"Okay, right, I'm sorry. What happened?"

"I slipped on the stairs."

"How are you feeling? Are you in any pain anywhere? Is the baby okay?"

"How am I supposed to tell if the baby is okay? My hip smarts."

"Okay, well do you think we should go to the hospital to get you checked out?" Regina stared hard at her husband before responding, checking to make sure it was his mouth that uttered those words.

"And embarrass myself by admitting I fell down the stairs? I don't think so."

"Regina, if you weren't pregnant, I wouldn't press the matter, but you are," Emma chimed in. Regina looked up in Emma's direction as if she just realized the blonde's presence.

"Emma, what are you doing here?"

"Uh, lighting candles and drawing you a relaxing bath?" Regina chuckled, grasping Robin's cheek.

"You were going to let me take a bath?"

"Yeah, I was even going to let you soak for twenty minutes instead of the usual ten." Regina leaned forward and pecked a kiss onto Robin's lips.

"How sweet."

"Thanks. Quit trying to distract us though, it won't work."

"Whatever do you mean?"

"You trying to stop us from making you go to the hospital." Regina looked into Robin's eyes, then Emma's before rolling them.

"Okay, how about this, I don't go to the hospital right now. If any issues arise later then you won't hear any protest from me. How does that sound?"

"Regina," Robin started to protest, but his wife held up her hand.

"I promise the only thing that smarts right now, other than my pride, is my hip. Perhaps I'll soak in the tub and then ice it down. Does that work for everyone?" Robin and Emma looked at each other before shrugging their shoulders. It was obvious this was a fight neither of them were going to win. "Good, now help me up." Robin and Emma pulled Regina to her feet. "I think you can see yourself out, right Emma? I'd like to salvage the rest of the evening." Emma nodded.

"Okay, but if you guys need anything, anything at all – "

"We'll let you know, thanks, for all your help." Emma stood and headed towards the front door, letting herself out. Robin turned to Regina. "Alright, let's get you upstairs, shall we? I'll help you into the tub and then I'll get the ice pack." Regina simply nodded and allowed Robin to peck a kiss onto her forehead.

Emma saw herself out after the commotion. Regina allowed Robin to take her upstairs. Once there, she shooed him away, telling him she was perfectly capable of undressing herself. He asked if she was certain to which he received a hard stare in response and the threat of he'd better shut his face if he wanted the evening to remain romantic. He quickly shuffled out of the room. It wasn't until after she'd pulled her dress over her head and went to unclasp her bra that she felt it, an ever so slight twinge in her lower back. She had to stop her movements and take deep breaths.

"Regina, you okay?" Robin interrupted from the doorway to their bedroom.

"Hmm?"

"You're breathing hard, are you alright?"

"Oh, yes, just a little frustrated that I can't quite reach down to take off my shoes. Would you mind?" Robin rushed quickly over and pushed his wife onto the bed so he could take off her shoes. He then pulled her to her feet, unclasped her bra and shoved her panties down for her. They stood facing each other for a moment. Regina sucked in another breath and leaned forward to grasp Robin's shoulder as she shuddered out deep even breaths.

"Regina, are you sure you're okay? You're not hurting?" Regina hummed out, shaking her head.

"Yep, I'm good. My hip's really starting to burn. Is there bruising?" Robin leaned to the side to look at his wife's hip.

"Can't really tell, it looks a little red. Why don't we get you into the tub, hmmm? The sooner we do that, the sooner we can get an ice pack on that, alright?" Regina nodded her head as the pain subsided. Robin escorted her to the en-suite and helped her get situated in the tub. She was amazed by all the candles and rose petals that decorated the bathroom. There were even petals in the tub.

"Oh Robin, this looks so wonderful. I'm sorry my little slip down the stairs kinda put a dampener on the evening."

"Oh shush. We had a nice dinner together without having to worry about the boys. We're still going to have this evening together even if it is me holding an ice pack on your hip. The important thing is we get this time together. Now close your eyes and listen to the music. Emma worked really hard on the playlist." Regina chuckled as she reclined further into the warm water, inhaling the lavender scent as she closed her eyes.

* * *

She wasn't sure how much time passed in undisturbed bliss, but her low back twinged. She sighed. The baby was beginning to be a pain in the ass. How was she to enjoy a soak in the tub if it strained her low back so? Her back spasmed again. As loathed as she was to get out of the relaxing bath she called out to Robin.

"Robin!" She listened for the sound of Robin's footsteps on the stairs. He was supposed to bring her an ice pack for her hip anyway. Emma's playlist echoed through the bathroom. "Robin!" she called again. This time she heard the heavy footsteps of her husband rush up the stairs. He appeared in the doorway of the bathroom.

"Regina, what is it? Are you okay?" She eyed him.

"I'm fine, my low back, however, isn't too happy. I'm afraid I can't sit in the tub anymore," she whined a little.

"Oh love, I'm sorry. Here, let me help you out. I got the ice pack all ready to go."

"Great, help me over to the bed and you can massage my back."

"Alright love." They spent a few awkward moments getting Regina out of the tub and getting a towel wrapped around her body. She could really only get it tucked over her breasts while allowing the rest of it to fall open across her body. They ambled over to the bed where Robin helped position her on her side. He grabbed the massage oil from the night stand and began the full body massage by working on Regina's shoulders first. He elicited small moans of pleasure from her lips the deeper he worked on the muscles in her back. He eventually worked his way down to the middle of her back and finally on her lower back. The sounds she made rivaled the sounds uttered from her lips during their love making. He was certain her towel would become soaked not from having dried her off of water but from her cumming. He stopped his ministrations to lean over and peck a kiss to her cheek. "How was that love?"

"Mmmm," she hummed in response. She rolled over onto her back and spread her legs slightly. "That was amazing, thank you. Where's the ice pack?" Robin chuckled.

"One track mind, I see."

"Or maybe it is you with the one track mind. Having Emma decorate the bed room in such a way."

"Well, yes, was it too much to ask to worship your body on a day such as this?" She quirked her lips before responding.

"I suppose." He pecked another kiss to her forehead.

"Alright, I left the ice pack downstairs when I heard you yelling. I'll have to change out the ice so it may be a few moments. I'll be back as soon as I can, love."

"Okay, I'll be here, prone like a beach whale awaiting your return," she smiled and stuck out her tongue.

"Lovely," Robin responded before heading out the door. Regina rolled slightly back to her side, wincing at the dull ache in her back. While Robin's hands were wonderful, the massage still did nothing to alleviate the pressure in her back. She hauled herself out the bed and went in search of some sleep shorts and one of Robin's shirts to wear to bed. She grabbed the towel from the bed and tossed it towards the hamper. Robin could actually bend down and place it in the hamper later. She returned to the bed and settled herself in it, waiting for Robin's return.

It didn't take Robin long to trot back up the stairs. True, his plans for sex tonight with his wife were derailed, but it was nice to just enjoy a romantic evening with her. He saw her figure tucked underneath the flat sheet on the bed, the comforter pulled back onto his side of the bed. He shook his head and approached his wife. Her eyes were drifting shut. He walked around the room blowing out the candles that were still lit from their romantic evening before climbing in behind her and spooning her. He placed the ice pack on her hip and they both drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Some time passed and Regina woke with a start. She felt something wet between her legs and her back hurt infinitesimally more than when she first lied down. She tucked her hands between her legs in search of the ice pack which she was sure was the cause of the wetness she felt. She pulled back her wet hands, confusion etched on her face when she felt no ice pack. The wetness that coated her hands was sticky. She flipped on the lamp and sucked in a deep breath.

"Robin!" She yelled out. He grunted. "Robin, get up, we need to go to the hospital." She yelled once more, this time shaking her husband out of his sleep. He sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Regina, what's going on?" She turned to look at her husband and showed him her hands.

"I don't know, but I'm bleeding," she whispered out in soft sobs. Robin jumped up from the bed and rushed around their bedroom throwing on some pants and his slippers.

"Okay, um can you stand? Do you need me to help you stand?" Regina sniffled tears as she hauled herself into a sitting position so she could push herself up into a standing position.

"Ahhhh," she screamed as she doubled over in pain. She sat back down onto the bed. Robin came and kneeled before her. Regina sucked in more breaths.

"Breathe Regina, slowly, in and out, okay? Follow my breath." Regina nodded as she looked into her husband's eyes. Once she seemed to calm down, she parted her lips.

"Robin, I'm sorry." Robin reached forward to tuck her hair behind her ears.

"Love, whatever are you sorry for?"

"We're going to lose the baby because I didn't want to go to the hospital." Robin rose from his position on the floor to sit beside her on the bed. He pulled her close.

"Shhhh, don't think that. You're 32 weeks, if the baby decides to come now she's going to be fine, you'll see. Don't think like that. We can try getting down the stairs so I can take you in. Do you think you can handle that, once we get you standing?" Regina shook her head. "Alright, I'm going to call Emma too, okay?" Regina nodded her head once more.

* * *

Killian groaned when Emma's phone rang out into the dead of night. Emma was a heavy sleeper. She was sprawled across their bed, drool crusted on the side of her lips. He reached over her body and grabbed for her phone. His eyes went wide when he saw Robin's name flash across the screen.

"Swan," he nudged her body. She grunted and scooted closer to Killian. He tried again, "Swan, Robin's calling."

"Huh?" She asked, seeming to be waking from her stupor.

"I said, Robin's calling, do you want me to answer?" The phone stopped.

"Ahem, maybe he just butt dialed me. He and Regina are probably on their third round," she stated with her eyes still closed. She rolled back over and curled into her side. Killian relaxed and settled back down into the bed alongside her. The phone shrilled out again. Emma grunted.

"Robin you're butt dialing me, I don't want to hear anything you – "

"Emma, Regina's bleeding."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Regina's bleeding, I need to take her to the hospital."

"What? No, no, it's too soon right? What is she 30 weeks?"

"32, I need some help getting her to the car, can you come over and help us out?"

"What? Me? Call the ambulance!"

"We don't have time for this, just throw on some damn clothes, okay?"

"Alright, alright, I'll be there. I'm using the lights."

"Fine, do whatever you gotta do." Emma hung up the phone. Killian leaned up on his elbows.

"What's going on Emma?" Emma looked at Killian.

"Regina's in trouble. She, she's bleeding."

"I gather that's bad?"

"Yeah, that's bad. Damnit, I knew I should've made her stubborn ass go to the hospital. Babe, I gotta go," she said, leaning forward to peck a kiss onto his lips. He sat in the bed, stunned, as he watched his love run around their cluttered bedroom. She put on her red leather jacket and dashed out the door. He laid back down in the bed. He wasn't entirely sure what was going on, but he knew it must be really bad for Emma to interrupt her sleep and actually leave the apartment. He would check on her in the morning, maybe even bring some coffee and bear claws to the hospital later.

* * *

Robin saw the lights flashing out his house and two seconds later he heard the front door open and slam shut. Then he heard her yell. Robin had returned to kneeling in front of Regina, working her through breathing exercises. She was experiencing contractions. They managed to get her changed out of her bloody clothes. She had some leftover pads from menses long stopped during her pregnancy that they used to cover a fresh pair of panties to absorb any more bleeding.

"Upstairs, Emma!" Robin called out. Regina's evenly placed breaths stopped as she seemed to return to regular breathing. "Is that one over?" Regina shook her head. "Alright, I'm going to find Emma, okay?"

"Alright," she whispered out. Robin placed a kiss on his wife's head and headed for the bedroom door.

Emma was at the bottom of the landing by the time Robin made it to the top of the stairs. She quickly rushed up the stairs.

"Robin, what's going on? Regina's bleeding?"

"Yeah, she woke up and her hands were covered in blood. We've got her changed, but I'm having trouble trying to get her to stand so we can get her into the car. Can you help?"

"Uh, yeah, sure, I can do that."

"Thanks, and she's having contractions."

"What? Robin, you should've called an ambulance."

"I know, but she already feels bad. She feels it's her fault and doesn't want too much fuss. She's kinda resigned she's going to lose the baby. She's scared. I'm scared."

"Okay, alright, let's just get through this, one step at a time. We'll get her to the hospital, they'll check her out. They have meds for this. If she delivers I get to meet my god daughter sooner, but it'll be fine, just fine." Robin shook his head. He wanted so bad to believe Emma's words. He needed to believe them. He needed to stay strong for Regina. With one last glance at Emma they both headed up the stairs.

"Hey you stubborn old bat." Regina laughed harshly as Emma approached her.

"Emma, now is not the time."

"I know, but you know how much I love to call you on your shit. I'm going to help you stand and we're going to walk to the door, then we're going to walk down the stairs. We're going to get into my fancy car with the lights and we'll be at the hospital in no time, okay?"

"Emma, I can't do this."

"Yes you can. Mary – Margaret's not here to give you a proper hope speech, so this will have to do."

"What if I lose her?"

"The baby?" Regina shook her head. "We're not going to let that happen, okay? Have faith." Regina looked at Emma.

"You don't believe in God."

"We get through this, I'll come sit right next to you and Emmaline on the front row." Regina smirked.

"Emmaline?"

"Yes, I get to name her for saving her life." Regina started to chuckle again when her hand gripped Emma's hand tightly. Emma rubbed Regina's back soothingly. "Relax, breathe, in and out. Let me know when it passes, okay? We'll start making our way then." Regina simply nodded and focused on her breathing.

* * *

After a few moments, the contraction subsided. It took a lot of coaxing, but fifteen minutes later they finally had Regina buckled into Emma's patrol car. Five more minutes and they were pulling into the ambulance bay. Emma radioed ahead to the hospital and there was a team already waiting for them as soon as the pulled up. They opened Regina's door and assisted Robin in settling her into the wheelchair.

"Where are you taking her?" Robin called out to them as they wheeled her back towards the hospital entrance.

"Labor and delivery. Come find us when you can so we can get her registered." Robin looked at Emma.

"Go, I'll park the car and come find you."

"Will you call Mary – Margaret and let her know what's going on? Ask her to keep the boys?"

"Sure thing."

"But ask her not to tell them what's going on with Regina."

"Don't worry. We'll just tell them you guys wanted to spend more time together." Robin simply nodded his head and jogged after Regina's departing wheelchair. Emma sat down in her patrol car and headed towards the parking garage. She would stay at the hospital all night and all day and all night again to make sure her friend was okay. To make sure her god daughter was okay.

Robin caught up to the transport tech that was taking Regina towards the elevators that led to the Labor and Delivery ward. He could see his wife's delicate hands grasping the arms of the wheelchair as she worked her way through yet another contraction. Robin allowed this small moment to himself to worry over the fate of his unborn child for when they finally got settled in their room it was up to him to be the calm one. Regina would need his strength, love and care. They would get through this together. He mentally kicked himself for caving so easily to his wife. He should have been more insistent she get checked out, but then again her only complaint had been a sore hip and busted pride.

"Are you the husband?"

"Hmm, yeah, Robin Hood," Robin offered his hand to the nurse who arrived by his side once they exited the elevators. The nurse stared at his proffered hand. "What?"

"Seriously, your name is Robin Hood and you have a British accent?"

"Yes, that's his name!" Regina yelled from the wheelchair.

"Right, okay. This way. We'll get you settled into your room and get you checked out, alright?" Regina gritted her teeth and nodded her head all the while cradling her belly. The trip to her room wasn't very long once they passed the nursing circulation desk. The nurse that greeted them on the floor helped Regina onto the bed. She retrieved a hospital gown and handed it to Robin. "Will you help her get changed into the gown? It opens in the back. If you can give us a urine sample while I go get started on your paperwork that would be a great help." Robin took the hospital gown and the urine container from the nurse's hand and she exited the room. He turned to his wife who was seated on the side of the bed, leaning on her thighs. He could see her body shake with tears flowing down her cheeks. He sighed a heavy sigh and walked towards his wife. He placed the hospital gown and urine container beside Regina on the bed and knelt in front of her, laying his hands on top of hers. She tilted her head to look into his eyes.

"Oh Robin," she shuddered out, her cries becoming more audible. Robin stood up and pulled Regina into a tight hug, rubbing her back in what he hoped were soothing circles, shushing her cries.

"Hey, love, it's gonna be alright, okay? She's going to be fine, you're going to be fine. We'll get through this."

"Robin, it's too soon, you can't promise that the baby will be okay."

"Hey, now, don't talk like that. I know she will survive because her mother is a survivor. Her mother is strong."

"I don't feel very strong right now."

"I know. You don't have to be. I'll be strong enough for the both of us if that's what you need. You don't think about anything else other than making sure our little girl has a safe journey into the world if she is to be born now, okay?" Regina didn't respond. "Okay?" She nodded her headed against his belly. A knock sounded at the door. It was Emma.

"Hey guys, how's it going?" Regina wiped at her face as Emma walked further into the room.

"We, uh, just got in. I'm supposed to be changing clothes and peeing in a cup."

"Ah, I see, is there anything I can do to help?" Another knock sounded on the door.

"Alright, looks like you guys didn't exactly get your pre registration paper work turned in so we'll have to get that filled out. Mr. Hood can you help me with that?" Robin looked at his wife before glancing back at the nurse.

"Hey, why don't I help Regina get changed and everything while you go fill out the paperwork okay?"

"Right, thanks Em."

"No problem." Robin followed the nurse outside the room while Emma stayed behind.

"Alright Regina, let's get you into the gown. Do you need to pee right now? Can you pee?"

"Uh yeah, I'm sure I can manage, the baby likes sitting on my bladder." Emma pulled Regina into a standing position and helped her undress. "Don't say anything about what you see."

"No worries, I can be professional. Now let me help you put on the gown and we'll head over to the toilet so you can pee. Can you manage that? I'm not sure I feel comfortable holding the cup for you. Maybe there's a hat?" Regina cut her eyes at Emma. "Ohhh kay. Glad to see you can make time for sass."

" _Emma_ ," Regina whined.

"What? I'm trying to distract you, is it working?" Regina bit down on her bottom lip as a few tears trickled down her face.

"Thank you Emma for being here."

"No problem. I wouldn't miss this for the world."

"What if she's not okay? What if I hurt her?"

"Hey, don't think like that. She's going to be perfectly fine, okay? Now, let's go pee!"

* * *

"Right, now Mr. Hood I'll need a copy of your wife's health insurance and a photo ID."

"Uh, okay, right. Um I think all that's in the room with her."

"Okay, no worries, we can grab that when we head back in there. So, she's having contractions?" Robin nodded his head.

"Um, yeah, but it's early, it's too soon."

"Ok, that's okay, give us some time to assess the situation. You are both in very capable hands here. How far along is she?"

"She's uh, 30 weeks maybe? She might be the better person to ask, I, uh, I can't - " Robin stuttered in his speech. His strength was starting to fail him, but he couldn't exactly freak out right now because he needed to be Regina's strength.

"Okay, and how long has she been having contractions?"

"Um not sure really, she uh, she fell down the stairs earlier this evening. She insisted she was fine, but then she woke me and said she was bleeding and we needed to go to the hospital."

"Ok, so how long ago did the bleeding start?"

"Um, maybe an hour or so ago?""Okay, well let's head back in there and see how she's doing? The doctor should be here shortly." Robin nodded his head and followed the nurse back down the hall to his wife's room.

Emma was helping Regina into the bed, swinging her legs onto the bed and tucking the sheet around her lower body. He immediately went to her side. Regina grasped his hand and held on for dear life. He bent to kiss her head and smooth the hair back on her head.

"Shhhh, shhh, it's okay, it's alright, I'm here." Regina choked out sobs.

"You can't know that."

"No, but I know how strong you are, you are so strong. You will get through this and I will be right here by your side, okay?" She nodded her head as Robin pecked another kiss to her forehead.

"Alright Mrs. Hood, my name's Imogene, Ginny for short. I'll be taking care of you until shift change at 0700. We need to get the rest of your paperwork filled out. There were some questions your husband was a little spotty on. Then we'll check your progression, okay?" Regina nodded her head. She gripped Robin's hand hard and leaned into him. She evened out her breaths. "Okay, okay, are you having a contraction right now?" Regina nodded her head as she sucked in breaths. Ginny approached Regina and rubbed soothing circles on her back. "That's it, just breathe. You're doing good. Let me know when it's over okay?" Regina nodded her head. She breathed in and out a few more times before relaxing her grip on Robin's hand and sitting back into the bed. "Good, good. When we get finished with this part I'll start an IV and get you onto a monitor. Now, your husband said you fell down the stairs and then a little while later you started bleeding having contractions, does that sound about right?"

"Well, I didn't fall, I slipped."

"Okay, you slipped on the stairs. Were they hard wood, carpeted? How far down the stairs did you slip?"

"Um, I don't know, maybe the last five? They're hardwood."

"Did you land on your belly?' Regina shook her head no.

"No, no I just kinda slid down the stairs. I was able to grab onto the handrail. I mostly just took a hard fall onto my hip."

"Okay and how soon after did you start experiencing symptoms? You didn't have any back pain?"

"Um, well, maybe a little." Regina heard Robin suck in a breath. "But I thought it was just regular back pain from being pregnant.""Okay, that's okay. How long did that go on before you decided it was something more?"

"When I woke up, I felt something wet. I thought it was the ice pack Robin made for my hip."

"And that's when you decided to come in?"

"Yeah."

"Alright, I'm going to check and see if the doctor has made it up here yet and I'll tell him everything you told me. He'll probably come in and ask you to repeat all this, so hopefully you'll have some more time to remember any other details, alright? Do you need anything else?"

"No, I think we're okay," Regina responded. The nurse walked out of the room. Regina turned to look at Robin, guilt written all over her face.

"Uh, Emma, could you give us a minute?" Robin asked.

"Uh, yeah, yep, I'm gonna call Killian and let him know what's going on. Do you need anything? Water? Coffee?"

"No, just go," Robin motioned his free hand. He turned to gaze down at this wife. He stood and paced for a moment, trying to gather his thoughts. He was usually a patient man and rarely let things work him up into such a state, but right now he was feeling just a little betrayed. Had he not done everything within his power to make sure Regina and his children were safe? No, he may not be able to physically carry their unborn child, but he was trying his very best to do his part to make sure his child entered into the world unscathed. He was kicking himself for not insisting Regina come to the hospital to get checked out immediately. He let her intimidate him. "Regina, why didn't you tell me you were experiencing back pain?" He immediately started in with the questions.

"I don't know. It's just like I told the nurse, I thought it was regular pregnancy back pain."

"I know what you told the nurse, but you'd fallen on the stairs. You told me you would tell me if you started experiencing anything. You promised we would go to the hospital."

"Please, don't start. I'm not in the mood."

"You're not in the mood? Our child's life could be in danger because you're so damn prideful!" Robin snapped. Fresh tears sprung into Regina's eyes. He immediately regretted his words, but only in speaking them because damnit he was hurting too. Regina grasped her belly protectively and ran her hands in circles. It was a nervous habit she'd picked up when her belly took on a more pronounced appearance that Robin took notice of. "Regina, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that."

"Yes, you did. You think this is fun for me? You think I don't know our child could die? You don't think that's not killing me at this very moment? That I don't feel incredibly shitty for risking our child's life, hurting me, hurting you? Taking away your happiness? Wondering if she does die if you'll stay? If I haven't ruined something else in my life? God, you have _no_ idea." Footsteps echoed in the doorway and a throat cleared. A knock sounded.

"Hey, Mr. and Mrs. Hood?" They both nodded their heads. "Great, I am Dr. Bones. Don't laugh, it's my legal name." Silence. "Alright, I see you're here because you're experiencing contractions at 30 weeks after a fall at home? Is that right?" Ginnny stepped in behind the doctor and approached Regina to start her IV.

"32," Regina whispered.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Dr. Bones couldn't quite hear her. She cleared her throat.

"I said 32, I'm 32 weeks."

"Oh, alright, that makes our odds even better," the doctor let out a grin that he hoped was somehow reassuring for the parents.

"It makes our odds better?" Robin parroted the doctor.

"Yes, if we aren't able to stop the labor and end up having to deliver the baby is much more mature at 32 weeks than 30."

"You're gonna try to stop the labor? Is that possible?"

"Yeah, we'll give you some medicine and monitor you to make sure the contractions have stopped. Your water hasn't broken, has it?" Regina shook her head. "Good, I'll go wash my hands so I can check you and Ginny here will finish up with your IV. How does that sound?" Regina nodded her head nervously, unconsciously reaching out for Robin's hand. He brought her hand to his lips and planted a soft kiss. Regina glanced at him nervously, not sure where they stood given the doctor interrupted them mid fight. It didn't take long for the nurse to start the IV and flush the line. She brought over the IV pump and started the drip. The doctor returned to Regina to do a more thorough exam. After a few tense minutes the doctor snapped off his exam gloves. "Well good news is your cervix seems to be shut tight. I'll bring in the ultrasound to check positioning just in case, and after that, it's pretty much just a waiting game, okay? I don't want to get your hopes up only to have to crush them, but I'm being realistic, okay?"

"Okay. So what happens if we are successful in stopping labor?"

"Then we would release you with strict orders for bedrest for at least two weeks. Think you can handle that?" Regina nodded her head vigorously. "Great, I'll be back in about 20 minutes, how does that sound?"

"Sounds great," Robin responded. He grasped Regina's hand tighter, grasping it with both hands, planting more fervent kisses. Hoped surged through him and he didn't know how else to communicate it to Regina; he was afraid speaking it might somehow jinx their seemingly good fortune at this turn of events. Regina grasped her belly with her other hand, rubbing circles, calming herself. He could see a faint smile on her lips as she sniffled and tears leaked through the corners of her eyes. A knock sounded on the door. They both looked towards the door.

"Hey guys, it's me."

"Hey Emma."

"Is it okay if I come in?"

"Yeah, sure sure. The doctor's just gone to get the ultrasound machine," Robin responded. Emma walked further into the room so that she was standing at the foot of the bed.

"So, what did he say? Is everything okay?" Regina nodded her head.

"He said my cervix is still closed so they're going to try to stop the labor with some meds and if they're successful with that two weeks bed rest." Regina responded. Robin sucked in a breath. "What?"

"Babe, maybe you should think about taking early maternity leave, just to be safe." Regina relaxed her grip in Robin's hands, withdrawing so she could rub circles with both hands. "I, I know you really want to continue working until you can no longer work, but please, love, I don't want anything bad to happen to you or the baby. I, I couldn't, can't, won't live the rest of my days without you or her." Regina sniffled as more tears leaked from her eyes, sniffling a little, wiping at the snot coming from her nose with the back of her hand. She nodded her head a little.

"Maybe. We're on track with the final book. You know I really have my heart set on finishing it before the birth."

"I know. How about we ask Mr. Gold if you can work on it from home? Would that be a good compromise?"

"Yeah, yeah, I have the office at home. A fax machine. My secretary can come and pick and deliver anything I may need." Another knock sounded on the door. The three looked towards the door to see the doctor pushing in a cart and parked it beside the bed.

"Oh, hello, Ms.?"

"Uh, Emma, godmom to the fetus." Regina shot Emma a look.

"Ms. Swan, the godmother has not been determined as of yet."

"Awww, come on, who else are you going to pick? Mary – Margaret has Henry. Please? I'll be the coolest godmom ever!" Robin chuckled, nudging Regina.

"We'll take it into consideration, won't we, babe?" Regina reluctantly nodded her head. The doctor pushed the ultrasound machine further into the room. He checked the settings before queuing it up.

"Alright, are you guys ready to see your little one?" Robin and Regina nodded their heads, along with Emma. "Okay, Ginny, would you mind getting the lights for me?" The nurse walked over to the door and dimmed the lights. Dr. Bones placed the ultrasound wand onto Regina's belly and pressed hard, running it up and down, side to side to get imaging of the baby. He took a breath. "Well, looks like he's in a head down position." Regina and Robin looked at each other, mouths agape.

"He? It's not a girl?"

"Oh, uh, did you guys not know the sex?" They both shook their heads.

"We, uh, we wanted to be surprised," Regina spoke up.

"Well, I actually don't know it's a boy, I just tend to use masculine pronouns. I know, it's terribly sexist of me. Would you like to find out?" Regina and Robin looked at each other again. Not only were they possibly about to meet their child within few hours, the doctor may possibly have just ruined the mystery that was the gender of their child. They both convinced themselves it was a girl. The seed of doubt the doctor just planted sent their minds into overdrive. Robin spoke first.

"No, we'd still like to maintain that particular mystery, if it's all the same to you."

"Alrighty then. Welp, everything looks good, we'll get the Terbutaline going and I'll be back to check on you in a few hours, how does that sound?" Robin and Regina nodded their heads. "Good, now, try to relax and get some rest, sleep would be even better. You two," he pointed to Robin and Emma, "keep her calm. If her blood pressure gets too high you'll have to leave, okay?" Robin and Emma both shook their heads. "Okay. If you need anything, don't be afraid to let Ginny know, she'll get in contact with me if need be." Dr. Bones patted Regina on the leg and shook Robin's hand firmly. He shut off the machine and handed Regina a rag to clean the conduction gel from her belly. The doctor then disappeared out the door with the ultrasound machine down the hall.

"Okay, I'm going to get the Terb and be right back. Can I get you any water?" Regina shook her head yes.

"Uh, yeah, get her some water," Robin answered for his wife. Her hands had drifted back down to her belly once she finished wiping the gel off. "Hey, how are you feeling?" Robin asked in a hushed whisper.

"Good, I'm alright, feeling a little better, a little pissed too, though."

"Oh yeah? Why are you pissed?"

"Well, he basically told us we were having a boy, I was kind of settled on a girl, was kind of leaning towards a name."

"You picked a name?"

"Well, maybe. But that doesn't matter, he says we're having a boy," she grunted out.

"Hey, come on, he said he didn't know, that he uses masculine pronouns. He didn't show it to us, did he? They would show us."

"I suppose."

"Alright, welp, it's getting late and I'm gonna have to take the early shift since you're here Robin. I'm gonna see how much sleep I can get."

"Of course, thank you so much for all your help, Emma," Robin responded.

"No worries, it's what a godmother would do for their godchild," she stated with a wink. Regina rolled her eyes. "It's gonna happen," Emma said in response. "Now, we all know how much I enjoy my sleep, but if you need anything, anything at all, don't feel like it's a bother or that I'll bite your head off, okay? Call me."

"We will." Emma leaned over to give Regina a hug and rubbed her belly. She placed a hand on Robin's shoulder and departed. Robin leaned over and kissed his wife's temple.

"Alright love, you heard the doctor, try to get some rest. I'm gonna be over here on this chair, alright?"

"Will you," she paused, "will you sleep here, with me."

"I'll pull the chair closer."

"No, I mean, in the bed."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea, I don't want to hurt you."

"Please, I don't think I can relax without you. I want, no, I need to feel your arms around me, please?" She was on the verge of tears. Robin sighed before bending down to take off his shoes. Regina tried her best to scoot over to accommodate Robin. She turned so she lay on her left side, allowing Robin to climb in behind and spoon her. He pillowed his left arm under his head and rested his right arm atop Regina's as she cradled their child. He nuzzled into her neck, inhaling her scent before planting a couple of kisses behind her right ear. She snuggled down further into the bed, tucking herself into his front as best she could. Robin removed his hand and began rubbing circles on her back. This was their normal bedtime routine at home. He hoped continuing with something familiar would help soothe her. She startled him by reaching back and stilling his ministrations, dragging his arm back across her abdomen. They lay in silence in that position until her breaths evened out even more and he hears the soft snoring she swears she doesn't do. He allows the steady rhythm of the fetal heart monitor and Regina's steady breaths to lull him into sleep, but not too deeply lest his wife need him.

He wakes later, unsure how much time passed and realizing he must've been a lot more tired than he initially thought. His hand feels like it's in a vice, a death trap and he snaps his eyes open, remembering, and silently cursing himself for forgetting, his wife might possibly deliver their child far too early for their liking. Regina is letting out soft moans, breathing in and out, shaking, squeezing Robin's hand. He coos into her ear, whispers that he's there for her, to take slow even breaths as he rubs slow, comforting circles on her back. After a few moments, Regina's shuddering sobs cease and her grip on his hand lessens. He pecks a kiss on the back of her neck and he leans forward a little bit, trying to catch her gaze.

"How was that one? Was it that bad?" Regina shakes her head before responding.

"No, it was more bearable since the last ones."

"That's good, right?"

"I don't know, they're still coming. I thought the point of the meds was to make them stop." Robin lifts his hands to stroke her hairline.

"I know, I know, we'll take the little signs. How long has it been since the last one?"

"I'm not sure, I don't remember. I don't remember falling asleep either." A soft knock sounded from their door.

"Can I come in?" A voice rang out.

"Yeah, yep," Robin responded as he sat up on the bed and swung himself off. He wasn't really sure he was supposed to be on the bed with Regina. Ginny came bustling into the room, checking Regina's vitals, making note of them on the chart before moving to the IV that hung just above the bed.

"How's mommy doing? Any more contractions?"

"One just passed," Robin answered.

"Okay, how was that one? Same intensity and duration?" Regina stared at the nurse.

"It was less intense, although I haven't really been paying attention to the duration."

"That's okay, just try to remember to time them next time, okay?" Regina shook her head in understanding and reached out for Robin's hand. He quickly grasped her hand in both of his and rubbed it, reassuringly. "How long has it been since the last one?"

"We're not sure, I think we both drifted off to sleep and she woke me by squeezing my hand. Was that the only one you've had babe?"

"Since they started the meds? Yeah, I think so."

"Alright, well it's about 0515 now and I hung this a little after 0430. The meds are still going in. Once this bag finishes, I'll check your progress. You may have to have another round."

"I only slept for about forty - five minutes? It seemed longer than that."

"Time can stretch for an eternity if you're exhausted enough. Now, everything looks okay here, so I'm going to go check on some other patients. Do you need me to get you anything?"

"Um, no, I think I'm good, if not just a little worried. Does it always take this long for the meds to do their job? Do patients typically need more than one round?"

"Every woman's body is different. If we're not getting the desired results, we may try a different drug, but let's see how things are at the end of this round, okay?" Regina and Robin nodded their heads. "Alright, and at the next check we'll probably take some cultures, just in case."

"Cultures? Just in case what?"

"We need to check you for group B strep colonization. It could hurt the baby if it gets exposed to it during delivery." Fear quickly etched Robin and Regina's faces. "Don't worry, if the doctor is really concerned you may deliver, we'll go ahead and start you on a round of antibiotics. Are you allergic to any medications? Penicillin?" Regina shook her head.

"No, I don't have any drug allergies."

"Perfect. Are you sure I can't get you anything? Maybe some more water? Ice chips? Popsicle?"

"Will I be able to eat anything at all?"

"I'm sorry, we typically don't allow you to eat during the labor process. Only clear liquids."

"Great, I'm so exhausted, how am I supposed to recoup any energy?"

"I know, I know. I'll talk to the doctor, but I don't think he'll allow."

Robin leaned forward and whispered into Regina's ear, "Please babe, why don't you get some more water and a popsicle?" Then he looked to the nurse, "Do you have apple?"

"Apples?"

"No, the idiot means apple flavored popsicles," Regina gritted through her teeth as another contraction began.

"Okay, alright, Robin you coach her through this one and I'll time it, okay?" Robin nodded his head as he allowed Regina to squeeze his hand tight once more. She curled in on herself, bearing down as the contractions tightened across her back and worked their way forward to the front of her abdomen. After a few tense moments, she relaxed. "How about I go ahead and check you now? Your contractions are irregular, which is a good sign, but I'd like to make sure your cervix hasn't decided to open up, okay?" Regina nodded her head as Ginny made her way down to the foot of the bed. She pulled the covers up from Regina's legs and moved to put on a pair of gloves. She braced her hands on Regina's legs and pulled them apart ever so slightly as she bent over and her hand disappeared under Regina's gown. "Okay, good, good, there doesn't appear to be any change. I'll be back with your popsicle and inform Dr. Bones of your progress. Let me know if you need anything, okay?" Both Robin and Regina shook their heads as Regina straightened out her legs. She reclined into the bed, resting her head fully into the pillows. To Robin, she looked so small, tiny and frail. He brought the hand he was holding during the contraction and pulled it to his lips, kissing it softly and then stroked his wife's head. She turned her head plaintively towards him.

"You're out of bed, dear."

"I know, I thought Ginny might kick me out, I'm sorry."

"That's alright. Come, get back in bed with me. I feel much more relaxed and calm when you're with me."

"Alright love," he said as he moved to climb back into bed with her. She shifted once more to the side as they burrowed themselves into the bed. Once they resumed their position before the last contraction it didn't take long for either of them to get lost in their own thoughts, worries and concerns before sleep claimed the both of them once more.

Soft knocking and then the opening of the door to their room startled Robin from his slumber. Regina still lay on her side, his hand firmly entrenched in hers. She looked peaceful and content since their whole ordeal began. Ginny entered the room, followed by Dr. Bones.

"Hey, how's she doing?"

"I suppose okay, I don't think we've been awake since the last check. What time is it now?" Robin responded, rubbing his eyes.

"It's 0600. I'll be coming off shift at 0700 so I just wanted to do another check and see how we're doing. The meds should finish out in maybe 10 minutes or so," Dr. Bones responded. He headed to the sink to wash his hands and put on examination gloves. He sat down on the stool at the foot of bed and called Regina's name. "Regina? Are you awake?"

Regina shifted slightly, letting out a moan. The baby was pressing on her bladder and she needed to use the restroom now.

"Hey, Regina, love, come on, the doctor wants to check you," Robin tried coaxing his wife awake. She shifted a few more times before sleepily opening her eyes.

"Mmm, what?"

"Hey glad you good join us! I hear you've had a couple of contractions since we started the meds. How are you doing now? Anymore since Ginny last checked?"

"Uh, no, I don't think so. Is that a good sign?"

"Yeah, yeah, that sounds great. I'm just going to check you and take some cultures, okay?" Regina nodded her head. She spread her legs so the doctor could check to see if there was any progress.

"I thought you wouldn't have to take any cultures unless you thought I might deliver."

"Well, we might be able to stop the labor, and you're going to be on bed rest for two weeks as a precaution, but that doesn't mean you're not at risk to deliver early. I'm just taking these as a precaution. Nothing to worry over," he stated as he reached his hand out for the culturette Ginny was holding. Robin could see Regina grimace a little bit. "Alrighty, all done, you can put your legs down now." Regina nodded her head and relaxed her legs.

"How much longer?"

"I'd like to do another round. If you don't have any more contractions after that, I'd still like to keep you for observation. If all is well you can go home later this evening provided to stick to bed rest. No lifting anything heavier than a gallon of milk. No standing on your feet for long periods of time. No rigorous activity. Think you can handle that?" Regina nodded.

"Anything so that she, or he, is safe."

"Good, I have to prepare for rounding and pass on your case to the incoming physician. It'll be Dr. Whale. His bed side manner could use a little work, but he knows what he's doing. You'll be safe in his care. Best of luck to you two." Dr. Bones patted Regina's leg and shook Robin's hand.

"Alright, I'll be back shortly to hang another round. Anything I can get for you?" Ginny asked as she finished cleaning up behind the doctor.

"Do you think I could something to eat? Maybe some fruit?"

"I don't see why that should be a problem. I'll go speak with Dr. Bones before he leaves and hopefully we can get dietary up here with some fruit for you."

"Thanks so much." Ginny nodded her head and left the room. Regina brought her hands to her belly and rubbed soothing circles.

"Hey, how are you doing?" Robin asked his wife. She nodded her head slightly.

"I'm doing much better knowing the labor has probably stopped. You're going to have to do all the housework," she smiled slightly, her spirits in a better place than where they were a few hours ago. "Have we heard from Emma or Mary – Margaret?"

"Uh, let me check my phone." Robin walked over to the bench provided in the room for the expectant fathers to try and grab a few hours of shut eye. He fished around in his jacket pocket for his phone. He held it up in the dim light of the room and squinted as he brought the phone out of sleep mode. "Looks like she sent us a text message. She says Emma let her know what was going on and that she'll keep the boys as long as we need her to."

"We should probably give them a call. They're probably worried since we didn't tell them they were going to have to stay longer."

"Yeah, but what are we going to tell them? I don't need them stressing you out by worrying about the baby. They're quite protective of the both of you, you know."

"I know, I know. We just tell them there was a little issue and that we had to go to the hospital to check it out but everything's okay now."

"And how do we explain that you're going to be on bed rest for two weeks? I'll have to get them to help me around the house. You can't get fussy if we don't do something to your liking. And you should probably stay downstairs. I don't think going up and down stairs would be good for you. I'll fix up the couch in the den and we'll be your personal servants."

"What am I supposed to do during the day if I need something?"

"I'll bring you lunch. You'll only need to go to the restroom. You can binge watch Netflix. I'll check on you and see if you need anything. Emma doesn't have to come into work until 2PM. I'm sure I could take a couple of days off."

"You know how much Emma loves her sleep. I want you to save as much time for when the baby is actually here. What am I going to tell Gold? I'm a little ahead of schedule with the book series but we've still got a few more loose ends that need tidying up."

"Gold will just have to find someone else to take that over."

"But that's my project. I worked really hard to land that contract. I just can't let it go to someone else after all the work I put into it." Robin pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a sigh.

"Alright, well is there anything you can work on from home that doesn't require you to leave the sofa?"

"I think I can sit at my office desk for a little while. I'll even get a foot rest to elevate my feet. Will that work for your majesty?"

"Ha ha, very funny. Why must you be a stubborn old woman?" Regina jerked head back in defiance.

"You love me this way." Robin approached her bed and leaned down to kiss her on the lips. She moaned softly before bracing her hands on his chest. "No rigorous activity the doctor said. Now, if you don't mind, help me to the restroom. Baby girl has been sitting on my bladder and that exam certainly didn't help." Regina held out a hand so that Robin could help her stand and walk her to the restroom with the IV pole.

"Baby girl? You really think Dr. Bones uses masculine pronouns?" Regina looked a Robin longingly.

"I don't know, but I'd like to keep thinking it's a girl, if that's alright with you."

"Yep, sure. Wanna give Mary – Margaret a call after we get you settled back in bed? Let her know our progress?"

"Yeah, sounds good."

* * *

Around six o'clock in the evening, Robin and Regina entered in their house on Miflin Street. They were greeted with silence, which was expected, if a bit disappointing. Robin helped Regina sit on the sofa. She started in protest but he quickly shushed her. Robin helped his wife out of her coat and shoes.

"Now, you sit here and anything you need, anything at all I will do my best to make sure you have it."

"Great, this will be fun," Regina said with an eye – roll. Robin sat down next to her and pulled her close. She snuggled down into his arms as the cuddled. She sniffled a few tears and so did Robin. The stress from the past twenty – four hours weighed heavily on them and all the emotions they had managed to quell during the entire ordeal finally made their way to the surface. The couple sat like this, holding onto each other as if it was the last thing they would ever get to do, for what seemed like hours before they were both consumed by exhaustion. Neither one responded to the buzzing of their cell phones, of Emma and Mary – Margaret calling to check on them, to see if they could bring their boys home. Eventually the phones stopped buzzing and Emma and Mary – Margaret resigned themselves to allow the couple to recover and stuff the boys full with all the things Regina would never allow them to have. What did they care if the boys were hyped on sugar when they were returned to their parents?

* * *

This is unbetaed and my eyes are hurting re reading through this. If you find any mistakes, please let me know and I'll try to fix them. Please R & R, let me know what you think!


	35. Pride

Silence echoed in the emptiness of the sheriff's station. Silence was his constant companion. Silence was welcomed, yet unwelcomed for silence is the place where his thoughts become so loud, so deafening that he must face them. His thoughts are not pleasant. In fact, they are downright scary and traumatizing; traumatizing for he finds himself horrified by what they bring to the surface of his mind. Terrified is how he feels and in the silence of the sheriff's station is where he strangely finds the peace to be alone with his thoughts and process them. It is the only safe place he has to grieve, to grieve over what might have been and to grieve the current situation. The current situation being his heavily pregnant wife resting at home, incubating their child for a little while longer as was their luck given the almost unfortunate incident that occurred a few days ago. A few days ago was their one year anniversary. A few days ago they almost lost their unborn child. A child he swore to protect and he let that child down before it'd even been born and he felt absolutely torn about it. And his wife, he swore to protect her and he let her down as well. He was turning out to be a shit of a husband and father. He let out a big huff and slammed his pen down on top of the paperwork he was currently working on. He rubbed his forehead and let out a growl. Sitting up in his seat, another growl escaped his lips as he slid the stack of papers across his desk and sent them flying through the air, not caring where they landed.

"Whoa there. You feelin' alright there?"

Robin looked up to see David standing in the door way. Robin rubbed a palm down the front of his face.

"Sorry, is it six o'clock already?" David shook his head.

"No, it's only five AM."

"Well what are you doing here?"

"Neal had a fussy night so Mary Margaret sent me in early so you get home to Regina and help her get the boys ready for the last few days of school."

"Oh. Right. And here I've made a mess of all my paperwork. Great."

"No worries, I'll help you pick it up and it'll be waiting right here for you later!"

"Gee, thanks." Robin and David both stooped to gather the papers that peppered their way on the floor and over to Emma's desk.

"So, how are you and Regina doing? How are you handling this?"

"Want the honest answer?" Robin looked up into David's eyes from his squatted position on the floor.

"Shoot. I'm all ears, whatever you need to get off your chest and, unlike my wife, I can keep strict confidences," David said with a chuckle. Robin took a few moments more to finish picking up the errant papers and restacked them on his desk. He perched atop while David leaned against Emma's desk, arms crossed over his chest.

"Well, to be honest, I'm scared shitless. Regina and I have both been through pregnancies before, but nothing like this. I've never been so scared in my life, only, I couldn't be afraid. Regina would've freaked out even more." David nodded his head, hummed in understanding. "I mean, we could've lost our child. Well, it would've been born early, but just imagining everything that could've gone wrong with a premature delivery. Worrying if the baby would make it and if it did what kind of problems might it have. Worrying if Regina would make it through the delivery okay. Would she have to have an emergency C – section? I now understand why she was so freaked out early in the pregnancy. The weight of considering everything that could go wrong must've weighed heavily on her and I was a right git for not being more understanding." Robin sighed out, shaking his head in shame. David nodded some more, hearing his friend's words and trying to understand if he was just lending a sympathetic ear or some encouraging words. He settled for a slight nod of his head, pausing once more to see if Robin would continue on or if he was done. Robin looked down nervously at his desk, picking at imaginary objects and flicking them into the air. He let out a heavy sigh and stared at David.

"Well, for what it's worth, I think you guys handled the situation pretty well, as well as anyone can. I don't know what you're going through, man, and trying to picture myself and Mary – Margaret in your situation, well, I'm amazed with the strength and resilience you and Regina have. Do you guys talk about it at all?" Robin scoffed. "I see. Well, she never was one for talking things out. She doesn't know how. Her mother demanded perfection and talking about one's feelings, well, that was something perfect people didn't do." Robin lifted his eyes to David.

"How do you know so much more about my wife than I do?" He whispered. David pushed himself from off the desk and went to lean against Robin's desk, cupping a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't be jealous. You forget, I _have_ known Regina longer than you. Daniel was my partner for many years and my ear is not the first to offer its sympathies to someone involved with a certain Regina Mills. There are a great many stories I've heard from Daniel about his relationship with Regina and in part, with her mother. Just be glad Cora passed away a few years ago, believe me." Robin dragged his eyes from David and looked down once more at the desk.

"Was she really that bad? Regina doesn't talk about her much. Actually, neither one of us talk about our parents. Sometimes she waxes on about her father, how she misses him terribly and how she was right to name her son after her father," Robin chuckles slightly before continuing on, "She says if I ever felt some way about not having met her father, all I had to do was look at Henry and there he would be."

"Yeah, she's right about that. I've never met a more kind and giving soul than Mr. Mills. I can't imagine what kind of cruel woman Regina might be if it weren't for her father."

"Which begs the question of how her father and her mother even came to be."

"Well, that is truly a story in and of itself and I don't know much. That's more girl talk stuff, I think. Daniel mostly talked about what an impossible woman Cora was and how he just knew he had to save Regina from a life with that woman."

"Regina? Needed saving? I hope that's not how he sold their relationship. I think Regina would have a cow if she knew this is how Daniel saw their relationship."

"Well, she's not having a cow, she's having a baby. And that's not exactly what I meant, but it is the best way to describe the situation," David cleared his throat before continuing on. "I'm sure you've gathered Regina has a tough exterior."

"Yeah, I had a hard time breaking through it."

"But it was worth it, was it not?"

"Yeah, the underneath is so beautiful and I can't imagine my life without it."

"That's what Daniel knew. She's cutthroat. No one dare stand in her way. This is how her mother raised her. To be respected, to be feared. Sometimes, garnering respect for a woman is hard. It is not freely given. Cora wanted Regina to be a respectable woman and go places in her life by affording her opportunities she herself never had. Regina's life was well planned out before she was probably even conceived." Robin nodded his head, letting David know he was genuinely interested in hearing what new insights he had to offer. "So, Regina, obviously not knowing any better, and wanting to please her parents, as most children do, followed her mother's carefully constructed path, never once deviating, until one day she met Daniel. She didn't scare him off like so many others before him. In fact, her tough exterior is what first attracted her to him. She was a mystery that no one was interested in unraveling. Her total focus was on establishing a career and never once did she think about marriage or even having children. Daniel changed all that."

"Really? Wow, I've never heard her speak of Daniel like this."

"Well, like I said, I can keep secrets, my wife can not. Friends for Regina are far and few between because of that tough exterior, but underneath, she's a heart of gold. If she trusts you, you better not ever betray that trust. She would lay down her life for you. I know she gives Mary – Margaret a hard time, but it's all bluster and she wouldn't do it if she didn't care. All this to say, my narrative of Regina is pieced together from stories Mary – Margaret and Daniel have shared with me."

"I see, well, don't let me stop you. I'm getting to know another side of my wife through you."

"Right, where was I?" David paused once more, searching his mind for the lost train of thought. "Oh, yes, so she and Daniel met at school. One look, he said, and he knew she was the woman for him and he made it his mission to prove it to her. He majored in Poli Sci and her's was English, not that that was what CEO of their own companies majored in. In exchange for majoring in English Regina reluctantly minored in business to appease her mother. So, during orientation Daniel also decided to declare a minor in business and asked Regina to help him sign up for classes. Then, because that's not where his focus was, he also persuaded her to help him study for said classes. They eventually began hanging out outside of studying for classes. Since Regina really didn't have any friends of her own, Daniel introduced her to his circle of friends, Per Mary – Margaret, Regina found herself in a world in which she didn't have to _make_ people respect her. They just respected her as a person and being away from the thumb of her mother, she found she didn't really know who she was or what she wanted out of life. Daniel helped her through her self – discovery. Daniel says he's not even sure where their friendship turned into a relationship. It just sort of happened, an ease that neither one of them even noticed. One day, she asked him to accompany her home to meet her parents. He asked why, that was what boyfriends did. He said she cocked her head to the side and leaned in to kiss him," David chuckled at the image he pictured in his head.

"Regina kissed first? She is rather aggressive."

"Yeah, Daniel doesn't think she even realized what she was doing when she did that, but soon they were making out and that was when he realized that without realizing it he'd won this woman's heart and it didn't take overly romantic gestures to do so. All it took was being a friend and not running away when things got tough. And talking things out with her when all she wanted to do was shut herself off, shut everyone out, because well respected women aren't vulnerable and don't hurt."

"Are you trying to tell me something?"

"Well, I know you know Regina and that she isn't always open."

"No, she isn't. I just let her alone and wait for her to come talk to me. Nothing good ever comes from pushing that woman, I've learned."

"No, but sometimes, just sometimes, you gotta push that button to get her to open up. I learned from being Daniel's partner and him talking to me about a myriad of things from their relationship that while Regina doesn't want to seem vulnerable, she needs to know that someone cares enough to break down her walls when she's being stubborn and force her to confront whatever's bothering her. She needs to know that the person she cares so deeply for cares deeply enough to care about what she's going through." Robin nods his head in understanding. He does know these things about his wife. They've gotten into quite some heavy arguments and he knew that was her chosen method of demonstrating love, even it was a little unhealthy. He just misunderstood how deeply ingrained into her psyche this need was.

"I know, believe me I know. Thanks for this. I guess I needed a reminder of how Regina is. I don't want to upset her any more than she already is, but this is too important to let her bully me into not talking about. I know she feels like shit about it, but I feel like shit about it too."

"Well then, definitely ya'll should talk it out."

"Maybe I can convince her we should talk it out with Dr. Hopper. She's a bit more tempered when it comes to him. It gets heated a little bit, but we do seem to make headway after her sessions with him."

"Alright man, now, I came in early to relieve you so you could get home to Regina. Now, go!"

* * *

Robin nodded his head in thanks, grabbed his hat and headed out the door. It was early in the morning, the sleepy town of Storybrooke on the verge of waking. He decided to make a trek to Granny's and pick up breakfast so Regina wouldn't have to worry herself with making breakfast for "her boys". She seemed so intent on busying herself when she should be resting and it really irritated him. He let her stubborn ways put their child's life at risk and so while he was upset she had done so, he was more upset with himself for having allowed her to do so. He was all for women's rights and such, but this was a task that belonged to the both of them.

He arrived at the cozy diner, pushing the door open, the bell signaling his entrance. Leroy sat at the counter, cup of coffee in his hand waiting for his usual plate of bacon. Robin sidles right up next to him, nodding his head towards Granny.

"Hey Robin, you're early."

"Yeah, David came in early to relieve me. Thought I would bring Regina and the boys breakfast this morning."

"Sure thing, what's she eating nowadays?"

"Hmm, good question. I've never seen her turn down apple pancakes and bacon."

"Alright, and what about the boys?"

"Hmmm, why don't I get enough pancakes, eggs and bacon for the four of us? And two coffees?"

"One decaf?"

"Hmmm, no, she can have one cup of caffeine a day. Believe me, I've been told on more than one occasion." Granny nodded, a wry smile played upon her lips as she finished writing down his order and stuck his ticket in the window. She brought him a cup of coffee while he waited for his order.

"So, I hear you had a scare last week." Leroy grunted out as he took a sip of his coffee. Leroy, or Grumpy, as the town secretly not so secretly had nicknamed him, was a puzzle of a man. No one could ever tell if he actually liked anyone. The smallish man kept to himself a lot of the time, but surprisingly he seemed to know a lot of town gossip. Robin turned to face the man, who kept staring straight ahead as Granny plated his bacon rather than make eye contact with Robin.

"Uh, yeah, that's right, we did. How'd you hear about that?" Robin asked as he took a sip of the still piping hot coffee. He picked up a couple of sugar packets and dumped them in his coffee, stirring and taking another sip.

"It's a small town, you hear things. So, how is the missus?"

"She's uh, well she's – "

"Regina." Granny slide the plate of bacon in front of him and he immediately picked up a few pieces and shoved them into his mouth. Robin chuckled lightly.

"I know you meant that in the most caring way possible." Leroy grunted.

"Yeah, sure did." Leroy continued shoveling bacon into his mouth and Robin just chuckled. Leory and Regina had an interesting relationship – well, that was a nice way to describe it. He was the janitor at the publishing house Regina worked at and they'd spent a many late evenings together when she was in work - aholic mode. The two men sat side by side while Robin patiently waited for his food order and silently brooding over how exactly he should approach his conversation with Regina.

"Alrighty, here ya go, four orders of apple pancakes, bacon and eggs. And two coffees to go. Enjoy."

"Thanks, Granny," Robin replied, placing his money on the counter and waiving away Granny's attempt at giving him change. Robin patted Leroy on the shoulder, thanking him for his early morning company and stepped out onto the walkway once he exited the diner. He climbed into the driver's side of his patrol car and made the dreaded drive back to his home on Miflin Street. 

* * *

Robin entered the kitchen through the garage door to see a pajama clad Henry at the stove.

"Does your mother know you're in here messing around in her kitchen?" Startled, Henry jerked away from the stove, looking like the cat that ate the canary.

"Robin! You scared me!"

"Which means," Robin started as he placed his bags onto the counter, "that your mother does indeed not know you're in here messing around in the kitchen. You know she's going to be very cross." Henry's shoulders sank.

"I know, but I wanted to do something to help out. She's not supposed to leave the sofa."

"Well, I think the biggest help to her, to us, would be for you to get yourself ready for school and to help Roland as well."

"Roland? He's a big kid."

"That may be true, but he still needs little reminders. Reminders like brushing his teeth, combing his hair, help picking out weather appropriate clothes and such."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Great, now, go get dressed. I brought breakfast."

"Really?" Henry asked, eyeing Robin's bags, looking every bit like his mother in that moment.

"Yep, thought I might do something nice for your mom as well. Now go on, we haven't much time to sit and have breakfast together." Henry nodded and headed back through the kitchen doors. To be honest, Robin was quite surprised Regina wasn't already in the kitchen trying to prepare breakfast. He glanced at his watch, she was probably actually just waking up. He set about taking out plates and carried his bags through to the dining room. No sooner than he had placed the plates on the table and began rummaging the bags, his sleepy wife came waddling into the dining room, a yawn breaking over her features.

"Robin, what are you doing home so early?" She asked as she ran a hand through her bed – tousled hair.

"David said he was restless and came in early. I thought I'd get us breakfast." Regina's neutral face shifted into a frown.

"I can make breakfast, you know."

"I know, I know."

"I don't need to be coddled."

"I know that too."

"Well why did you pick up breakfast? We have plenty of food in the house." Robin sighed, placing the last plate down on the table. He let out a huff, trying to not let his frustration get the best of him.

"I wanted to do something nice for you, is that alright with her majesty? I wanted to come home and surprise you with breakfast, alright? Then, I'm going to take the boys to school while you shower," Regina's mouth opened to protest, Robin held up a finger to shush her. "Do not touch the kitchen while I am gone or so help me God."

"God help you what?" She plainly stated, arms crossed over her protruding belly. Robin knew when Regina was baiting him. He simply shook his head and walked over to the stairs.

"Boys!" he shouted loud enough so they would hopefully hear him. "Breakfast is ready! Get a move on so you're not late for school!" He turned to see Regina followed right up behind him.

"So God help you _what_?" She questioned again. Robin placed his hands on either side of her still crossed arms. He took a deep calming breath, lest he say something he regret.

"Regina love, please know that I love you and I would walk to the ends of the Earth for you, hang the moon and stars for you, but for the love of God, let me do this one nice thing for you, okay?" To say she was startled with Robin's bluntness was an understatement. She could read her husband like an open book and surmised there was something much deeper stirring under the surface. Thundering steps could be heard from the floor above them and Regina broke into a hushed whisper, pointing an accusatory finger in Robin's face.

"Fine, we'll eat this damn breakfast, you take the boys to school, I will take that damn shower and you clean the kitchen. And when we're all done we'll sit and talk about why your panties are in a wad." She broke into a wide grin as Henry and Roland made it down the last few steps and gathered them into a hug. "How are my boys?" she greeted them, saccharinely.

"Uh, fine," Henry responded, eyeing the two adults, suspicion furrowing his features.

"Great, good. All dressed and ready?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Look Gina! Henry helpeded me get dressed!" Roland beamed with excitement and spun around in his outfit. Regina bent over as much as she could to examine her youngest son's outfit.

"He did, did he? He help you put on rain boots too?"

"Hey, I did my best. You should've seen what he initially picked out."

"But I like my boots!" Roland complained as Regina stood and led everyone to the dining room.

"I know you do my little knight, but it's not raining."

"Why come I can only where them when it rains?"

"Cuz they're rain boots, duh." Henry replied, mussing Roland's curly hair. Roland quickly swatted Henry's hand and smoothed his hands back through his hair.

"Henry!" He whined out.

"Alright boys, that's enough. Let's just sit down and eat, then it's off to school with ya, okay?" Everyone quieted down at Robin's request. Henry was definitely certain now the scene he encountered coming down the stairs was something more than what his mother's wide grin portrayed.

"So, how is the last week of school going?" Regina asked as she took a bite of her pancakes. Not exactly what she was in the mood for, as her mood had soured slightly, but she was a pragmatist and right now she just wanted to get through breakfast so Robin could take the boys and could return home and they could discuss his current state of being.

"Oh it's going great. We're not doing much really, watching movies mostly."

"Watching movies? No final exams or anything of that nature?" Regina prodded further as she took a sip of her coffee. Caffeine. She quirked an eyebrow at Robin who was shoveling a piece of bacon in his mouth. A smile painfully stretched his features, but didn't quite make it to his eyes. Her husband was hardly ever upset, always in a good mood. She swallowed, setting her cup down, realization dawning her features that whatever he planned to discuss with her upon his return was something major and she wasn't sure how to prepare herself.

"We had exams already, they were super easy," Henry said as he took a bite of egg.

"So, all A's then?"

"Well, on my exams or in my classes?" Regina's mouth popped open in shock.

"Well, I would hope both. Do we need to sign you up for summer school young man?"

"Uh, no, nope. No thanks."

"I wanna go to summer school!" Roland shouted out.

"Shhhh, you don't wanna go to school in the summer!" Henry admonished Roland.

"Why not? School's fun!" Roland questioned with a sideways glance in Henry's direction. Henry mussed Roland's hair yet again.

"Oh, to be young and innocent."

"Really?" Henry grinned and nodded.

"Alright boys, you done with breakfast? We've got ten minutes to get you to school," Robin asked as he stood from the table.

"Yay!" Roland hopped off his chair and made a dash towards the front door. Henry stood up and picked up his plate.

"No, leave those, I'll get them when I return." Henry tossed a questioning glance towards his mother. She nodded her head, it was alright. Robin placed a hand upon Regina's shoulder and leaned down to peck a kiss on her cheek. She leaned up to accept the kiss, even though it felt hollow.

"Come give me a hug," she held her arms out towards Henry. He stumbled into her embrace and she kissed the top of his head. "Be good."

"Yes ma'am," Henry replied as he too headed off towards the front door. Once the boys were out of ear shot, Robin turned to look at his wife.

"Alright, like I said, I'll clean all this up when I get back," Robin stated forcefully.

"Yes, and then we're going to have a talk." Robin nodded once and followed the boys' previous path to the front door.

Regina lightly hummed to herself, rubbing her belly in smoothing circles. She bent lightly so she could talk to her bump, silly she knows, but still it comforted her. It made her feel a little less like a crazy person when she needed someone to bounce ideas off of and no one was there except for the bump.

"Dear sweetheart I do believe your daddy's gone off his rocker. I don't know what's gotten into him. No worries though, we'll have this all sorted in no time. Now, whadya say we go take a shower and then resume camping out on the stupid sofa, hmm?" The baby kicked in response. "I'll take that as a yes."

Roland was the first kid to get dropped off at school. Henry would usually climb out behind him so he wouldn't get embarrassed by having his parents still drop him off. Today, however, he lingered in the car. Robin surmised Henry could tell something was a little off.

"Hey Henry, are you gonna get out? I gotta get back to your mom before she decides to clean up our mess herself." Henry turned hard to look at Robin, to consider his words. He narrowed his eyes a bit.

"Yeah, what is up with all that?"

"Whadya mean? She's supposed to be on bed – rest. I don't think she's handling it well."

"She's not handling it well, or you're not handling it well?"

"I don't understand? I'm handling it just fine. You know how your mother is. She's restless and if things are messy for too long she stresses out and feels the need to have it clean. I'm trying to alleviate the stress in her life. We don't want your brother or sister to come early like they almost did, okay?" Henry nodded his head. "Now, are you going to get out of here or are you actually going to let me drop you off in front of the middle school?" Henry considered Robin for a moment before placing his hand on the door handle and exiting the car. He turned before shutting the car door.

"I think they're something more going on. Just don't hurt my mother. You promised you wouldn't hurt her when you asked me if you could marry her." And with that he shut the car door and sprinted to the middle school. Robin shook his head while shifting the car into gear. While Robin understood the sentiment and protectiveness of Henry's words, he feared Henry was still too innocent to know how most adult relationships worked. Robin started the quick drive back towards the house, hoping he wouldn't find Regina acting against his wishes.

* * *

He walked into the house to the sound of the shower rushing upstairs. Good, she was at least taking her shower. He took notice of the folded up sofa bed. She was supposed to wait on him to do that. He wandered into the dining room, pleased to see that she did indeed leave all the stuff from breakfast on the table. He gathered the dishes first and carried them to the sink so he could wash them off. Next he gathered the takeout containers and bags and placed them into the kitchen trashcan. He filled the sink with water and rinsed the sticky pancake syrup residue from each plate and placed everything into the dishwasher. The dishwasher wasn't quite full and Regina was probably taking a really hot shower. He could start the dishwasher later. Robin filled the tea kettle on the stove with water and set it to boil. He thought making a pot of tea would help calm this dreaded but necessary conversation. The kettle let out a shrill whistle after a few minutes. Robin pulled out the tea press and poured out a generous portion of loose tea leaves. Regina liked her tea strong. He filled the press with the hot water and let it steep for a few minutes before expressing and pouring up two cups of tea. He then brought the tea to the kitchen table and sat. Waiting, waiting, dreading this conversation yet knowing it must take place. He couldn't walk around with this pain in his heart, this great disturbance in his being knowing if he didn't get this all out the chasm that was building between them would widen until both of them fell through and he couldn't bear the thought.

He heard her barefooted steps approaching the dining room. She paused, searching.

"Robin?"

"In the kitchen," he responded after clearing his throat. His voice came out raspy. Regina pushed the swinging door to the kitchen open, her brows furrowing as she cautiously approached the table and sat down. She took in the scene before her.

"What's going on? You made tea." Robin looked at Regina. Properly looked at her. Stared deep into her eyes. "Robin, say something. I thought you wanted to talk." Robin glanced down at his cup and took a sip of the tea. Bringing the cup from his lips, he nodded his head in Regina's direction, indicating she should take a sip as well. She hesitated for a moment before she brought the cup to her lips and took a sip. She placed the cup down in front of her, but never let go. She rubbed her hands around it, stealing its comforting warmth even though she was still hot from her shower.

"Regina." Robin started, his mouth working but no more words coming from his mouth. Regina could sense that whatever her husband wanted to speak on was eating him alive. One thing she loved about him was that he never shied away from her challenges. She reached out to grasp his hand. He let it rest there for a moment, caressed it and then placed it back on the table before standing to pace around the kitchen. Regina looked on, bewildered.

"Robin, you're scaring me."

"Well, that's what we do best to each other, isn't it?" Regina jerked her head back.

"What on God's green earth are you talking about?"

Robin stopped his pacing and turned to his wife.

"Regina, you scared the living shit out of me."

"What? When?"

"What do you mean, when? When…that night when we…" Regina nodded her head as tears began to prick Robin's eyes. "Regina, I've never been so scared, so frightened. We could've lost our child. I…I could've lost you."

"But you didn't. I'm okay, the baby's okay. We're okay. Other than the bed rest which is driving me nuts." Robin turned slightly before coming to kneel in front of Regina, grasping her hands, kissing them.

"See? That's the thing I don't understand."

"What?" She asked, taking one of her hands from his grip and carding through his hair.

"You, you were so scared, frightened early on in the pregnancy that something would go wrong. You were so meticulously careful. And then when you fell down the stairs, nothing scared me more. I let you talk me out of taking you to the hospital immediately. For someone so worried about something happening early on, waiting to go to the hospital this late in the game seems so out of character." Robin continued to stare into his wife's eyes. She stopped moving her hand in his hair and brought it back down to her lap, trying to focus on anything else in the kitchen except her husband. Robin sighed, dropping her hand. He leaned back on his haunches for a moment. He reached forward once more, grasping Regina by the chin, directing her to focus on him. She snatched her chin from his hands. She reached for her tea and took another sip. "Regina," Robin started. She cut her eyes to her husband, silencing him. He sucked in a breath, sucked his teeth and slightly nodded his head. "Alright, it's not as if I honestly thought this would be an easy conversation to have with you." Regina snapped her head back into his direction.

"And what is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Oh, so you _are_ paying attention to me." Regina rolled her eyes and pulled her cup of tea into her hands, settling them in her lap.

"Of course I'm paying attention to you. You've been nothing but moody and, and, and brooding and – "

"And what? What else have I been? Worried? Afraid? Stressed?" Robin interrupted Regina. She abruptly stood up, spilling her tea.

"Oh, " Regina bent slightly, grasping her waste; Robin stood, gathering her into his side.

"Regina, are you alright? Is anything the matter?"

Regina chuckled mirthlessly, tears pricking her eyes. She grasped Robin's hand tightly as he guided her back into the kitchen chair. Once she was situated in the chair, she leaned back slightly, rubbing circles on her belly.

" _Are_ _you_ alright?"

"Hmmm? Yes, yes, I'm fine, the ba – Squishy seems to have shifted an appendage into my ribs."

"Okay, alright, that's good, that's fine." Regina cocked her head.

"Good and fine? I assure you it's not the most comfortable thing in the world."

"Well at least you're not going into premature labor again."

"What? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Regina, it's what I wanted to talk to you about."

"What?" Robin let out an exasperated sigh.

"Woman, will you just listen, okay? I'm, I'm not certain how to talk this out with you, without being in front of Dr. Hopper."

"Well would it make it easier for you if we went to see him? I'm not sure what we're doing right now is the best approach." Robin shook his head, knelt in front of Regina and grasped her by her thighs once more, staring into her eyes.

"Hear me, and hear me well. I get why you feel more comfortable talking our problems out with Dr. Hopper, it's a safe space. But guess what? We can't always bottle everything up until we can go see Dr. Hopper. Now is one of those times. I've been sitting on this for a while, waiting for things to be a little better because I don't want to put any more stress on you, but it's eating me up inside and I can't – I can't hold it in any longer."

"Okay, alright, I'm listening."

"Are you?"

"Yes, now, you're scaring me. Would you please just tell me what's going on?" Robin glanced down before looking back up into his wife's eyes. He used her legs to push himself standing, pausing for a moment, then he began his pacing. Regina looked on as he seemed to be working himself up in confidence. Finally, he came to sit before her at the kitchen table.

"Would you care for some more tea?" She slowly nodded her head. He refreshed both of their cups. He rotated his cup in between his hands.

"Robin? I get that you're nervous, your nervousness is freaking me out. You're upset about that night. And you're really angry with me and you've been carrying this around since then. Is that about right?" Robin shook his head. "See? I've been listening. Now, is there anything more you wish me to know? Is there something more?" Robin let out a small chuckle, for once in their young marriage she seemingly had the cooler head at the moment.

"I thought you were going to lose the baby. I knew how much that would devastate you. I wasn't sure I could be strong enough to support you losing the baby when I knew how much it would hurt me to lose our child because I knew I would also lose you, not necessarily to death, but I truly didn't think you would be able to survive losing this child, not after what you've already been through with the miscarriage and Daniel and – " Regina reached forward, placing a hand on his, steadying their movements around the coffee cup. Her husband was so sweet and caring and thoughtful and it was killing him. "I couldn't bear the thought of having fallen in love with you, marrying you, having another child with you – getting a second chance at happiness with you and our little family only to lose it all in that moment. That moment in which I let you talk me out of being the protector of our family. I bent to your will and let you talk me out of immediately taking you to the hospital to make sure you and Squishy were alright. I failed you all in that moment." Regina moved her hand to cup his cheek, tears now streaking her freshly showered face. Robin leaned into her touch. "Regina, what are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking," she started, stroking his cheek, "that I have _the_ most amazing husband in the world. I'm also thinking how I take him for granted. I'm sorry I scared you. I scared myself. I was trying not to worry you."

"You don't get to do that. I'm always going to worry about you. I'm going to worry about you, about Roland, about Henry, about Squishy. That's my job, you don't get to decide who I get to worry about. You guys are my life and I will do everything in my power to make sure you are safe and happy and taken care of. And if there is ever a moment that any of you aren't feeling that way I will do everything within my power to change that around."

Regina didn't really have anything to say to that. She was used to being the strong one. She often forgot that Robin was there to help share her burdens and that is was okay to rely on him, to rely on someone else to help. It was all she could do to recall her sessions with Dr. Hopper and not try to have the last word. This time, this space, this moment was for Robin and she shouldn't allow her pride to take it from him. So she did the only thing she could do. She leaned forward and kissed him. She kissed him hard, her tongue sweeping his lips, begging for entrance. He was stunned, she could tell, but he acquiesced. Their mouths and tongues danced for a few moments before they both drew back.

"What was that for?"

"A thanks."

"Thanks? I thought for certain you would have my head."

"Well, for a moment, the thought did cross my mind, but then I remembered. You're right and Dr. Hopper is right. I don't have to handle everything. I was afraid that night, that I let you down and I didn't want to worry you. I didn't want you to worry that anything was wrong. And I also didn't want to admit to myself I might've blown everything. That I might've done something to take that happiness away from you. And when I didn't feel anything immediate after falling I thought I was in the clear, there was nothing to be concerned about. Out of sight, out of mind."

"Know this, nothing, and I mean _nothing_ would tear me from you. If anything, should we have lost Squishy, my hopes would be that we grow stronger for getting through such a difficult challenge because our love _is_ that strong. I. _love_. You. I can't bear the thought of living a day without you and sometimes that scares me, but knowing that you love me and have trusted me with your heart, well, it let's me know that this is right and true and good. After losing Marian I wasn't sure I would be able to love anyone as much as I loved her. And knowing you lost Daniel, I wasn't sure I was worthy of protecting your heart. But here we are."

"Yes, here we are. I think we're doing pretty well."

"Yeah?" Regina leaned forward to kiss him again.

"Yeah, I mean, we've worked through this, haven't we?"

"Have we?"

"Well, we've both gotten a lot off our chest."

"Yes, we've said some things, but it hasn't fixed anything."

"Well, no, I didn't think we needed fixing. Do we need fixing?"

"Um, well, not necessarily fixing, but this is a pretty big thing."

"Yes, it is, but I think this is good for now. Perhaps we should put this on hold. I think we've wallowed in this long enough for today, perhaps a few days."

"I'll grant you that, but I'm still not feeling at ease about this."

"I know. How about this? We table this for now and we'll go see Dr. Hopper on Wednesday. We've got a head start. Our only issue now is how do we want to work through this, what we hope the end goal from all this to be. Do you know what you want it to be?"

"I want – " Regina put two fingers on Robin's lips.

"Shhhh, I said save it for Dr. Hopper. Squishy and I have developed a schedule for this mini vacation." Robin nodded, he'll play along.

"Oh?"

"Hmmm," she nodded, reaching for his hands. He helped her to stand and she led him into the den."

"Since I can't go up the stairs we usually camp out in the den, on the sofa, watching trashy tv or catching – "

"Catching up on the DVR shows we're supposed to watch together?" Robin finished as she sat down the sofa, patting the spot next to her. Robin reluctantly sat and Regina rearranged herself so she was situated in between his legs, reclining on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, his hands coming to rest on her lower belly. He softly kissed her temple. She picked up the remote and turned on the tv, searching through their DVR listings. No, they hadn't really solved their current problem, but Robin was content enough to let Regina take the lead from this point on. He felt confident that this time, she really had heard him and listened to his needs and that was enough, for now.


	36. Pretty Pink

Hey guys, I hope you're out there still enjoying the story. I've been in and out of this chapter. I had so much I wanted to put in but I've decided to break it up some. Here's the first part. It's short, so sorry for that.

* * *

Her eyes blinked, once, twice. She could do this. She would do this. This, she was good at and it would get done. She took a slow approach to the stairs that led up to the door. She paused for a few moments, gathering her composure. She took one, two, three deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling, calming her nerves. Everything was going to be just fine. Knock, knock, her fist rapped the door. She dropped her fist to her side and waited. Waited, waited, and waited some more. Perhaps her knocks weren't heard? She raised her fist to the door and before she could knock again, it swooshed open revealing a rather grumpy woman clad in a robe that desperately needed closing given all it revealed. A heavy sigh reached her ears.

"Mary – Margaret, to what do I owe the surprise of your visit?" Regina grunted out.

"Well, if I may?"

"May you, what?"

"Come in? Can you let me in?"

"Not. Until. You tell me why you're here," Regina clipped.

"Oh, you know, spend some girl time since you've been relegated to the sofa. I thought you could use company." Regina stared hard at Mary – Margaret for a few seconds before pursing her lips and squinting her eyes, weighing the truth in Mary – Margaret's speech.

"Hmmm, I don't believe you, but seeing as I _am_ relegated to the sofa, as you so delicately stated, who am I to stop you from whatever mission you have hidden up your sleeve?" Regina stated as she pulled open the front door so Mary – Margaret could enter. Mary – Margaret shouted a tiny "Yes" to herself as she followed Regina up the stairs, into the foyer and into the den where the sofa bed had been folded up.

"Come on in, make yourself at home!" Regina sat down on the sofa in her previously claimed spot in the corner as indicated by the steaming mug on the side table. She curled her feet underneath her and picked up a thick packet and resumed scanning it, making marks every now and then as she went along. Mary – Margaret situated herself in the recliner to the side, placing her overly stuffed crafting bag beside her. She was nervous. After a few silent minutes and Regina flipping pages back and forth, she paused, taking a sip of her drink and without looking up or missing a beat, she spoke, startling Mary – Margaret.

"Now, I know you didn't come here to stare at me. This isn't one of your scheduled visit times, or day, for that matter. You haven't spoken a word since we've sat down, which tells me only one thing," she stated as she sat her mug down and resumed scanning the packet in front of her.

"Uh, oh?" Mary – Margaret stuttered out.

"Hmmm, yes. You're keeping something from me, something that I won't like," Regina glanced up from her packet and placed it to her side. She sat up straight on the sofa and clasped her hands together. If Mary – Margaret was nervous before she was positively frightened now. She closed her eyes and reminded herself to breathe. This wouldn't be like the gender reveal party she tried to plan. This was a simple baby shower, Regina couldn't refuse that. "So, what could it be that you're so afraid to talk to me about?"

"I wanted to plan your baby shower," Mary – Margaret blurted out. Best to the rip the bandaid off quickly. Regina sat up, her mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out.

"Wha? Why would you want to do that?"

"Well, you need baby stuff."

"We have baby stuff, you've gone shopping with me when I bought said baby stuff."

"I know, I know, but certainly there are more things you need and everyone would love to help you celebrate. And you kinda owe me this after the gender reveal fiasco."

"Hey, that wasn't my fault."

"Oh come on Regina, you used that to introduce us to your dog."

"No one knew the gender of our new dog that _your_ husband somehow convinced _my husband_ to get without first consulting me."

"Well, look where we are now. You have a cute dog and I have not been able to throw you a baby shower as of yet. So whadya say? Hmm? Robin mentioned how stir crazy you've been since being put on bedrest. It's only day four and you've got ten more days to go!" Mary – Margaret's excitement could not be contained. The woman's smile stretched from ear to ear, made worse by the deepening scowl on Regina's face. The scowl, Mary – Margaret knew was pure bluster.

"Clearly I need to have a talk with my husband about discussing our personal life with David. Neither one of you can keep secrets." Mary – Margaret clapped her hands in delight and pulled the craft bag into her lap.

"Maybe we should do this on the dining room table?"

"Seriously? How much crap do you have in there?"

"Oh, it's not much. I like to spread out though. Come on, it'll be fun! You don't even really have to do much. Just tell me who all you want to invite and we can pick some colors and cake and games!" Regina rolled her eyes and scooted to the edge of the sofa, bracing herself so she could stand. Mary – Margaret watched her struggle for a few moments, not entirely sure the woman would welcome her assistance, but she sat her bag down and offered her arm to Regina. Regina stared at the proffered arm as if it were a two – headed snake before reluctantly taking it and allowing Mary – Margaret to haul her to her feet. Regina picked up her mug and shuffled over to the dining room table with Mary – Margaret in tow.

"So, where is Penelope? We don't see her very much."

"She's in her crate in the kitchen," Regina responded as she sat down unceremoniously in the chair at the head of the table. Mary – Margaret sat in the seat to the left of Regina and started unpacking notebooks and scraps of paper from her crafting bag. Regina's eyebrows lifted high on her forehead. Clearly the woman had been thinking on this for quite some time.

"The crate? Poor puppy."

"Yes, well when poor puppy gets housebroken she shall be free to roam, but while I am at home on bedrest I cannot chase her around the house cleaning up after every mess she makes."

"Oh, I see."

"Mmmm. So what all have you done so far?"

"So far? What makes you think I'd do any planning without you?"

"Really? You haven't thought up of any games or color schemes or already started on a list of people? Picked a venue? Settled on some music? Menu?" Mary – Margaret tried her best to look stoic, appalled even. Regina could see through that façade.

"Alright, alright, I may have jotted down some ideas after a brief discussion with Robin and Emma." Regina sat back.

"Robin knew about this?"

"He may have suggested it could be something for you to work on while you're on bedrest."

"He did, did he? I shall have a talk with him when he gets home."

"Don't be too harsh, he's really concerned you're going stir crazy, but he's so proud of you for sticking to the bedrest and not overdoing things." Regina suddenly became silent, her fire abated somewhat. She cradled her belly and rubbed circles, feeling for kicks. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes. Mary – Margaret reached out to still Regina's circling. She'd noticed Regina's nervous habit as soon as the belly popped out of seemingly nowhere. She needed constant reassurance the baby was there, that it was real. "Hey, come on now, no one blames you for anything. The baby's still tucked away comfy in your womb. No worries, okay? Now, let's get to planning!" Regina looked plaintively at Mary – Margaret, debating on whether or not she wanted to go down the road of how she almost delivered the baby early by being stubborn. But it was a road well – traveled in the past couple of days. She travels it every day, dragging Robin down it with her. She knows he's tired of that trip, thanks him for going down the path with her because he knows, somehow _he knows_ she needs it. She needs to be able to go down that path to work through accepting that everything is alright now. So she nods her head at Mary – Margaret and pulls over the notebook she's currently thumbing her way through and Regina finds that all she really has to do is to say yes or no to the things on Mary – Margaret's list. A smile even makes its way onto her tear – streaked face. Regina is loved and accepted and Mary – Margaret is a good friend. If she pauses their discussion to pull her into a tight hug for a few moments, neither of them make mention.

* * *

It is later in the evening and although planning out her baby shower had been an unwelcomed, but satisfying distraction, it did nothing to take her mind off the fact she was cooped up in the house, confined to the sofa for ten more days. After Mary – Margaret left she returned to the rough draft of the sixth book for the _Forbidden Fruit_ series. This was the author's fourth attempt and thought Regina was being unreasonable with her edits and making her rework the storyline, but damnit Regina knew what she was doing. The other books in the series all landed on the best seller's list within the week of release and she would be damned if this one didn't make it onto the list as well. Now, however, her eyes were tired of reading. Her hands tired making hand corrections, smeared with red ink. Her body was tired of resting and Squishy, well Squishy wouldn't calm down. Squishy was restless and she was hungry. Robin hadn't texted or called to ask what they should have for dinner. She shifted uncomfortably on the sofa. Squishy's foot, she thinks, had become lodged underneath her ribcage and she was having trouble getting the baby to shift just a little. Letting out a huff she slammed the manuscript down on the sofa.

"Come on babe, please move for mommy. I know, I know, this isn't much fun. I assure you, mommy isn't having fun either," she grumbled as she pressed into her side, shifting the little body inside her belly. It takes a few maneuvers, but she managed to dislodge whatever had lodged into her ribcage. "There, that's much better. Whadya say we call daddy, hmm? Are you hungry? Mommy's hungry. Got any special requests today or shall we be somewhat normal?" Strangely, Squishy decided to settle down and was offering no suggestions on dinner. "Well, thanks for your suggestion! I will be sure to remind you to calm your shit later tonight if you wake me up with heartburn because you declined to offer input into your dinner," Regina let out a sigh, situating herself to raise from the sofa. With some effort, she pulled herself up and set about packing away her work for the evening and straightening up the sofa. She needed some semblance of routine, and cleaning house, well that just helped release frustration and so she settled on straightening the sofa because afterall, she was supposed to be on bed rest.

* * *

Please feel free to leave a review! I'm also still open to prompts/ideas for future chapters. Hopefully the rest of this chapter will sort itself out in my head (and on paper) and it won't take long to update.


	37. Patience

Goodness, time got away from me! I took an impromptu birthday trip to Vancouver earlier this month when they happened to be filming in Steveston. It wasn't as magical as I thought it would be because they had us standing so far away, but a few of the actors came over to speak to us and pose for some pictures and that was pretty amazing. Enjoy this next chapter!

* * *

"Will she be here soon?" a voice asked in a hushed whisper.

"Why are you whispering? I'm not sure when she's going to show up. Robin is taking her out in celebration for coming off of bed rest. He knows to bring her here."

"Won't she be suspicious?"

"Hmmm, maybe, but she knows this is happening, she just doesn't know when."

"Oh, I see."

"Right, now help me pin this banner, you're taller than I am."

"Hmmmm, yes I am."

"Alright you two, I got the food. Leroy's helping me bring it in. Where d'ya want it?"

"Oh, Emma, thanks for picking it up! Um, let me and Zelena finish hanging this sign and then we can arrange the tables on the side maybe?"

"Huh, for someone who likes to plan you sure as shit didn't plan this out very well," Emma sighed as she walked over to the long tables that were haphazardly situated in the middle of the banquet hall.

"I'll have you know this is very well planned out, I even got Regina's input. Unfortunately it all hinged on her being released from bed rest, thank you very much." Mary – Margaret huffed out as she tied her side of the banner over where Robin and Regina would sit during the baby shower.

"We couldn't have done this outside like we did with the gender reveal?"

"No, Regina said she'd be too hot. Didn't want to risk overheating or anything that might put her back in the hospital."

"Right, okay. Are we gonna put tablecloths over the food table?"

"Hey, sister! I don't have all afternoon! Can I start bringing this stuff in?" Leroy shouted from the entranceway.

"Huh? Uh, yeah, come on in! We were arranging the tables to put the food on," Emma responded as she started walking towards Leroy.

"Well where are we supposed to put this if the tables aren't set up?"

"Just put them on the round tables there. We'll get the long tables set and then re arrange everything over there."

"Uh – uh, you didn't ask if we could do all that. You just asked if we could help carry this stuff in."

"Well, you are staying for the actual shower, right?"

"Why would we do that?"

"Remember that little pot we had going a while back?"

"For guessing the sex?"

"Yeah,"

"What of it? The baby's not here yet."

"Well, participants must be present to win."

"Look, I seriously doubt Regina's gonna let us in the delivery room with her."

"Well, duh, but you must participate in all baby – related activities, and really, this is the only one you've had to attend. And whom would she thank for the awesome gift if you're not here?" Leroy rolled his eyes. Emma sure could be persuasive.

"Alright, alright, I give. But I need to take a quick shower and stuff so let's make this snappy." Emma leaned over and planted a kiss on his cheeks with a big smack of her lips and ruffled the top of his head.

"Right this way!" She motioned with her hand indicating a round table closest to the long tables they would use for the food. Leroy and the rest of his buddies brought in the food pans, cake and the rest of the decorations Emma picked up at the party store. David and Emma also brought in the big present that everyone had chipped in to purchase. Everyone wasted no time in putting the finishing touches in the banquet hall. Now all they had to do was sit and wait for the rest of the guests to show up. And, their guests of honor.

* * *

Tap. Tap, tap. Tap. Tappity tap tap. Someone was tapping on her nose. She scrunched her face and swatted the hand away, groaning out as she shifted her body on the cushions and pillows positioned around her body. A few minutes passed and she settled back, snores emanating from her position in the sofa bed. A warm breath ghosted across the back of her neck, wet kisses working their way around; her neck, her jawline, and finally her lips. Her eyes slowly blinked opened to behold her husband who seemed a bit too cheery.

"Robin," she groaned as she shifted her position, "go away." A chuckle escaped his lips. He rubbed her back.

"Awww, come on love. I thought you'd be excited about today."

"Excited? What's there to be excited about? Just another day spent in the confines of the sofa bed. Do you at least have breakfast ready? And where are the boys?"

"You can't have breakfast this morning. You can have thirty – two ounces of water. Mary – Margaret came by an hour ago to pick up the boys." Regina seemed more alert, pushing herself into a sitting position, a scowl darkening her features as she rubbed the side of her head.

"What do you mean I can't have breakfast and all I can have is thirty – two ounces of water?"

"Wow, this bed rest really has boggled your mind, hasn't it?" Regina looked up sternly at her husband. He put his hands up in defense. "Hey, stop that scowling! We're going to the doctor today, remember? So you can get cleared from bed rest?" Realization dawned Regina's features.

"That's right, that is today, isn't it?" Robin nodded his head.

"Yep, so here's your water, drink up, drink up! We'll get to see how the baby's doing! And I thought maybe you'd like to get out and go for a drive, maybe stop and have some lunch out of the house?" Regina leaned forward to encircle her husband's waist.

"That sounds most wonderful. I'll take a quick shower. You'll straighten up down here?" Robin placed a kiss on the top of her head.

"Yep, you got it!" Regina held out her hands for Robin to help her off the sofa. He pulled her to her feet. She straightened her sleeping gown and waddled, actually waddled up the stairs. She groaned as she hauled herself up the stairs.

"Oh my god, I feel like I've gained ten pounds from this bed rest," she shouted down the stairs.

"Well good, the doctor said you needed to gain some weight babe," Robin shouted back her. Robin could hear his wife growling. "What did you say?"

"I said you got me this way."

"It takes two to make a baby, love."

"Oh shit," Robin appeared behind his wife up at the top of stairs. "Robin, what the hell is wrong with you?" Regina said as she slapped Robin's chest. "You scared me!"

"Sorry love I couldn't really hear what you were grumbling."

"I was _not_ grumbling."

"Fine, complaining."

"Argh. Are you done straightening up downstairs?"

"Why yes, yes I am." Regina narrowed her eyes.

"You've folded the sheets, folded the sofa bed, and replaced all the cushions on the couch?"

"Of course, love. It takes you a little longer to climb the stairs nowadays."

"It almost certainly _does not_." Robin let out a chuckle and kissed his wife's cheek, which she was quick to rebuff as they finally arrived at the master bedroom.

* * *

Forty minutes later found Regina gulping the last bit of water in the car ride over to the doctor's office. She tried real hard to quell the giddiness rising within her despite the anxiety of possibly more bed rest threatening to overtake her. Settling in those two weeks had been difficult. She finally finished the edits on the last book but she still needed to discuss layouts and book cover designs and well that was just hard for her to do not in the office.

"Alright, we're here," Robin looked over at his wife, tears glistening in both their eyes. He held his right hand up, resting it on the center console, waiting for Regina to grasp. She stares hesitantly into his eyes for a few seconds before she realizes his silent request. She grasps his hand in return, a smile that turned into a silent chuckle danced across her features.

"Let's do this." With a prompt nod of his head, Robin let go of her hand and swiftly exited the car, rounding the back before Regina could even make motions to exit the car herself. He dutifully held out his hands for her to swing her legs out of the car and hoist herself into a standing position. Robin shut the door behind her, hitting the alarm button on keys and tucked her right arm under his.

They slowly ambled their way to the entrance of the office. Regina took a seat in the waiting room while Robin signed her in. He joined her shortly thereafter. Again Robin reached for her hand, tucking it into his lap rubbing lightly every so often. Regina simply sat back in the chair and dozed lightly, comforted by the ministrations from her husband's hand on hers. Restless after fifteen minutes or so, Robin began bouncing his leg up and down. Regina cracked one of her eyes open.

"Dear, please stop, you're making me antsy."

"Sorry love, can't help it. I'm excited."

"Great, glad you're excited," Regina responded as she closed her eyes once more.

"Aren't you excited? We get to see the baby, check on how it's doing. Go out for lunch, just the two of us. A little us time before things get really chaotic?" Regina sighed a long sigh.

"After I empty my bladder I'm sure I'll share in your excitement. Right now I'm trying to concentrate really hard on not peeing on myself. I really should've worn a panty liner today."

"Panty liner? I thought you wore those when you were on your period?"

"Well, in general yes. Sometimes women have leakage not related to periods. And sometimes pregnant women leak fluids, especially when their bladder is full and there's a fetus resting comfortably, or in Squishy's case right now, bouncing on it." Regina shut her eyes. A grimace passed across her features as she adjusted herself in the seat. She pulled her hand from Robin's grip to rub circles on her belly. "Baby, I'm glad you find my nice full bladder super comfortable but you could please not bounce on it right now?" Robin chuckled. He joined his hand with his wife's. She gripped it with hers and resumed the placating circles.

Ten more minutes passed and Regina was really getting antsy.

"Robin, could you go see what's taking so long? Emphasize my extremely full bladder when you go up there, okay?"

"Yep, right, I can do that," he replied, standing and placing a kiss on her temple before heading to the check in desk. "Um, hi, hello…"

The receptionist looked up when Robin approached the desk.

"Shelly. How can I help you?"

"Hi Shelly. Listen, me and my wife have been waiting for about thirty minutes to see Dr. Campbell. She's consumed about thirty – two ounces of water and isn't sure how much longer she can hold it."

"Oh, okay, let me just check to see what's going on. Are you here for an ultrasound?"

"Well, yeah. She had an episode of pre – term labor about two weeks ago and she's here to get checked. We're hoping she can come off bed rest."

"Kay, let me see if they can just go ahead and do the ultrasound while you wait for the doctor. How does that sound?"

"That sounds fine I guess."

"Great, take a seat and hopefully they'll call you back in a few more minutes, alright?" Robin nodded his head and headed back to his seat. Regina paused the breathing exercise she was employing to focus on not peeing herself when she felt Robin sit down next to her. She quirked an eye open.

"What'd they say?"

"She's gonna check to see if we can do the ultrasound first."

"Oh, okay." Robin grabbed Regina's hands and pulled them into his lap, rubbing circles in an effort to comfort her. The nervousness was radiating off her in waves. Her behavior was certainly a departure from earlier in the morning. A few moments passed before the door to the back opened and the Medical Assistant called out for Regina. Regina looked to Robin and he helped her out of her seat and guided her to the door. They by-passed the weigh – in and restroom. The Medical Assistant escorted them directly to the ultrasound suite and got Regina situated on the exam table.

"Jean will be in shortly to check everything and then we'll set you up in an exam room."

"Will I be able to use the restroom first?" Regina queried as she worked her shirt up over her bump and arranged the towel over her pants.

"Oh, yes, of course! And we still need to get your weight."

"Gee, thanks for reminding me of that," Regina grumbled. Robin smirked at his wife and she swatted his arm as the Medical Assistant exited the room. Regina then reached for Robin's hand once again. He took her hand in his and resumed rubbing circles, providing whatever comfort his wife was seeking from this simple embrace.

"Alright, Mrs. Mills – Hood?" a bright and breezy brunette bounced into their room, interrupting their private moment. Regina cleared her throat, never once removing her hand from Robin's grasp.

"Yes, that's me." The woman had Regina's chart in hand and flipped through the first few pages before setting it down on the counter, taking a seat on the rolling stool.

"Alright, what brings you in today?" The woman asked as she adjusted knobs on the machine.

"We're here for a two – week check following threatened pre – term labor," Robin interjected before Regina could even take a breath to respond. A smile appeared on her lips as she looked from her husband towards the sonographer.

"Okay, great! Then let's get you checked, shall we? How far along are you now?"

"About thirty – four weeks," Regina responded as she pulled her shirt up even further so that now it rested atop her breasts. The ultrasound machine whirred to life and the sonographer squirted the conduction gel onto Regina's lower, eliciting a hiss.

"Sorry, someone forgot to turn on the warmer, you're my first patient for today," Jean responded as she began moving the wand around Regina's belly, pausing every few moments to take measurements. The room had gone deathly quiet. Robin's hand startled Regina out of her thoughts and he offered her a small smile.

"Welp, everything looks okay here, wanna hear the heartbeat while I print some images out?" Robin and Regina nodded their head vigorously. After selecting a few buttons, a whooshing noise could be heard. Jean held the wand to Regina's belly for a few moments for the parents and then she withdrew, handing Regina another towel so she could wipe off the gel. "Alright, here are some images. I'm going to take these to Dr. Campbell. I'll send Aurora back here and she can get you settled into an exam room."

"Um, is everything okay?" Jean offered a small smile.

"I can't really say. I'll have to let the doctor take a look at the measurements and images. Right now I don't see anything to be too worried about, okay? Just relax."

"Yeah, well you try to relax with this full bladder," Regina grumbled out as she pulled down her shirt. Jean let out a soft chuckle.

"I understand. I'll get Aurora and she'll take you to the restroom and hopefully you'll be on your way shortly, okay?" Regina begrudgingly nodded her head as Robin helped her sit up on the exam table. Jean left the exam room with Regina's chart in hand. Regina swung her legs to one side of the exam table so she was facing Robin. He took both her hands in his and pulled himself closer to her. She gazed up into his eyes as he found hers and gazed lovingly into them. They both let out tentative sighs of relief that Squishy seemed alright. They would have to wait for the doctor's official decree, but they were sure Jean wouldn't have told them anything if there was truly something to be worried about. Robin leaned forward and pressed his forehead to Regina's. They stayed like that for a few moments before a soft knock could be heard on the exam room's door.

"Hey guys, I hear someone is in need of the facilities?" Aurora offered a warm smile. Regina broke apart from Robin and pulled herself off the exam table.

"Desperately," she stated. Robin had never seen his pregnant wife move as fast as she did in that moment. She waddled out of the room and down the hall towards the restrooms, Aurora hot on her heels.

"Wait, here's a cup for a urine sample!" Aurora yells after her right as she was about to disappear into the restroom. Regina rolled her eyes.

"Seriously? I can barely see past this belly," she motions wildly, "and you expect me to get pee into that cup?" Robin chuckles, shifting his wife's belongings into his left arm.

"Hang on there love, I'll help you." Regina looked pointedly at him.

"I'm probably going to get pee on your hands."

"That's alright, won't be the first time and probably won't be the last," he chuckles as he motions for her to continue ahead of him into the restroom.

"Uh, here are some gloves if you'd like. I'll be out here waiting," Aurora hands Robin the urine container and a pair of exam gloves.

Once Robin shuts the door behind him, Regina busies herself wiping down the toilet seat and placing a seat cover over the lid. She pulls her pants and panties down and stares pointedly at Robin with her hands on her hips.

"I need the cleansing wipes," she tells him. He looks around because he isn't quite sure what she's talking about. "They're on the stand by the door. Hurry up, I really really need to pee." Robin nods his head in understanding. He grabs the tiny packet, opens it and hands the wipe to his wife who hastily wipes herself. She takes a deep breath. "Right, now how do you want to do this?"

"Um, well I'm not exactly sure what's supposed to be happening," Robin admits as he walks further towards his wife.

"Well, I think it'll be best if I sit all the way down. I'll pee a little bit, stop and then you'll have to stick the cup somewhere in the vicinity of the urine stream and I'll start peeing again. Try to get as much as you can in the container, okay?" Robin nods his head. "Do you want to put on the gloves now?" Robin nods his head and puts on the gloves as Regina sits herself on the toilet. Robin squats down in front of her. She leans forward slightly, bracing herself on Robin's shoulders. "Are you ready?" Robin nods his head and waits for Regina to start peeing. He hears a couple of hesitant drops hit the water. She looks up at him and nods her head; he places the cup in between her legs and she resumes urinating. "Okay, I think that's enough sample. Move." Robin quickly retracts his hand and cup from in between his wife's legs. She relaxes onto the toilet seat and finishes urinating, letting out a sigh of pleasure. Robin chuckles.

"I didn't get too much on your hands, did I?" Regina questions as she wipes and gets off the toilet. Robin shakes his head.

"No, not too much. I've got the gloves, right?" Regina shakes her head and moves towards him, offering to take the container from him.

"Right, now let's wipe this down and make sure the lid is screwed on properly. You go wash your hands." Regina cocks her head towards the sink as she wipes the cup, closes the lid and writes her name and birthdate on the outside of the container. By the time she's done with that it's her turn to wash her hands at the sink. "Now, let's go see about my coming off of bed rest, shall we?" Robin nods his head and they both exit the restroom to find Aurora patiently standing by.

"All goods guys?" she asks. They both nod their heads. "Great, we'll test your urine and get the results to Dr. Campbell and she should be with you shortly," she states as she leads them down the hall to another exam room. Robin lets Regina take the lead, holding his hand in support on her lower back. He helps her onto the exam table and stands close by while Aurora takes Regina's blood pressure and temperature.

"Alright, are there any other issues you wish to discuss with Dr. Campbell?" Robin and Regina look at each other. She reaches out for his hand and shakes her head, sighing.

"Nope, just anxious to see how the baby's doing and if I can come off of bed rest." Aurora nods her head.

"Right, well just sit tight, we'll return shortly." Robin brings Regina's hand to his lips and peppers kisses over her knuckles. She concentrates on her husband's ministrations for a few moments before she withdraws her hand and leans into him. He wraps his arms around her, holding her in embrace until they hear a knock on the door and suddenly Dr. Campbell is standing in the room with Aurora close by, flipping through her chart.

"Ahh, the Mills – Hood. How are you guys doing?"

"Great, we're good, just anxious."

"Understandable," Dr. Campbell shakes her head. "Alright Regina, why don't you lie back and I'll do a quick exam, okay?" Regina nods her head and Robin helps her recline on the exam table, lifting her shirt up to expose her belly once more. After a few moments Dr. Campbell steps away and makes a few notes in her chart. "Well I've looked over your ultrasound and baby looks good. It's head down so that's a good sign. Your urine was negative so that's also good. Your Group B strep culture was negative so we won't have to worry about giving you antibiotics during delivery. Have you been experiencing any more contractions or back pain?"

"Nope, nothing since we left the hospital," Regina shakes her head, absorbing all the information the doctor was telling her.

"Good, good. One last thing, I want to check to see if you're dilated, okay?" Regina nodded her head once more. "Alright, we'll step out so you can undress waist down."

Robin helped Regina climb off the exam table and step out of her pants. Her stomach let out a soft rumble as he helped pull them down. Regina chuckled softly and rubbed circles on her belly.

"Is someone hungry?" Robin asked as he helped her back onto the table.

"Yes, someone's daddy wouldn't let them eat this morning," she replied with a grin.

"Welp as soon as we're done here you want to head over to Granny's? Have some pancakes?" Regina reached out and pulled Robin close, wrapping her arms around him, gazing into his eyes.

"That sound mouthwateringly awesome. Could we call ahead so the food's ready and waiting?"

"I think that can be arranged," Robin said with a peck to her lips. A soft knock and opening of the door had the couple pulling apart. Regina reached for the paper coverup and Robin helped her recline onto the exam table.

"Alrighty, feet up," Dr. Campbell commanded as she snapped on her exam gloves. After a few tense moments she finished the exam, snapping off her gloves. "Alright you can put your legs down. You don't appear to be dilated, but I still want you to come back in two weeks and then weekly checks after that? Alright? "

"Okay. Do you think I'll make it to term?"

"Given the premature labor scare I'm not sure you'll make it to term. I still want you to limit your movement as much as possible. I'll feel more confident once you make it to thirty – six weeks."

"Does that mean I'm still on bed rest?" Regina asked with a plaintive sigh.

"I'll take you off of bed rest, but if you decide to return to work maybe discuss lightening your workload? No heels, no standing on your feet for long periods of time. Resting with your feet up, all that good stuff? Do you think your manager would be able accommodating?"

"He should be," Regina responded.

"If not I'll give him a talking to," Robin chimed in, rubbing his wife's shoulders. Regina offers him a smirk and whack to his hands.

"Mr. Gold is strangely overprotective of me, almost like a father. I don't think we'll have anything to worry about. If I can get all those things worked out, I can return to work?"

"I don't see why not. Now, here are some more ultrasound pics. Aurora will see you out and I'll see you back in two weeks, okay?" Robin and Regina both nodded their heads. They turned towards each other and rested their foreheads together for a few moments before another rumble of Regina's belly reminded them both she had yet to eat that morning. Robin let out a chuckle.

"Alright, alright, we heard you five minutes ago. I wonder where this kid gets its patience from. I don't think it's Daddy." Robin grins out as he pulls Regina to her feet so she can get dressed.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" She responds as she pulls on her clothes.

"Nothing, love," Robin responds with a kiss to her forehead before squatting down to help her put on her shoes. "Now, all ready to go?" Regina nodded her head. They exited the exam room and headed towards the front of the medical office.

"Hey guys, Dr. Campbell wants you back in two weeks. Would you like morning or afternoon?"

Regina looks at Robin, a sly grin plastered on her face. "Are you going to want to come? Or can I come by myself?"

"Well, I would like to join you but if you'd prefer to not have me there then don't worry about if I can make it or not."

"It's not that, it'll just be a quick check to see if I'm dilating or not. If there's anything different I'll let you know. You've already taken time off since this whole thing started. These weekly checks are the normal part of pregnancy and Daddy doesn't always have to come."

"Alright, you'll call as soon as you're done?"

"Scouts' honor," Regina says with a nod of her head. She turns towards the receptionist. "I'll take a mid – morning appointment." Then she turns her head to her husband. "Then we can meet for lunch after that and I'll tell you all about the appointment. Deal?" Robin leaned forward to capture her lips in a quick kiss. "I'll take that as a yes."

The receptionist chuckled as she filled out the appointment card and handed it to Regina. Finally they could enjoy what little bit of time left they had of her pregnancy and hopefully the next event would be welcoming their child into the world.

* * *

Please Read and Review!


	38. Baby Blue

The bell over the door let out a tinkling sound. The couple stepped through the door and their eyes swept over the occupants of the quaint diner. A heavy sigh escaped from the lips of one half of the couple.

"She's not here," the voice whined as she was pushed towards the back corner booth. Their booth. It's where they sat on their third date. It's the booth where they both decided they would like to be something more than just adults going out to eat together and having play dates with their sons. It's the booth where they both felt their relationship was something more, nothing like their previous relationships.

"I know, love," the British accent cut through her haze.

"But no one can make apple pancakes, besides me, like I like them," she whined out as her husband help her slide into the booth.

"I know, love. Would you like something else instead?" Her lips pursed and her brows furrowed at his suggestion.

"But it took me all morning to decide that I wanted the apple pancakes."

"Okay, how about blueberry pancakes and bacon? The chef does a decent job with those, yeah?"

"Well, I suppose I could deal with blueberries instead. But now that I'm off bed rest I will resume cooking breakfast and I will make my own apple pancakes."

"Hey, the doctor said to not be on your feet for so long."

"I can sit at the island and mix everything and even pull the chair over to the stove, smarty pants." Her husband shrugged his shoulders in agreement. She could do all those things to satisfy the requirement of not being on her feet for long periods.

"Alright, shall I go order at the counter or do you want to wait for table service?"

"Go ahead and order at the counter. I have to pee again," she sighed as she shrugged out of her light jacket and piled it into the corner on top of her purse.

"Alrighty, so blueberry pancakes and bacon. Do you want juice?"

"Blech, no I'll take coffee."

"Decafe?"

"If you insist, daddy."

"Oh come on, you had a cup of regular yesterday," he supplied in response. In return, she held up her hands in defense.

"I know, I know. I should be so grateful you watch my intake. Now scoot, Squishy is going to start eating my insides before long."

"Yes ma'am." Robin leaned forward to peck a kiss on his wife's cheek before she swiftly dashed to the restroom down the hall.

A few minutes later found Robin seated in their booth skimming through the local newspaper.

"Anything of interest in there?"

"No, not much really. There's a concert on the lawn this evening. Do you wanna go?"

"Hmmm, I don't know. All this going out and doing things after I've been on bed rest is actually quite exhausting."

"Hmm, okay. Well if you just want to head back home after this and sleep, that's fine with me."

"Well now I didn't say that!"

"Okay, well love, what do you want to do?"

She pursed her lips in thought. What indeed did she wish to do now that she was off bed rest?

"You know, I'm not really sure! I was working on a list of baby things we still need," she stated as she reached into her bag to pull out her notepad.

"What? Ah, come on, we have so much stuff for the baby! What more do we need?"

"We still need to get a mattress for the crib. Some bedding. I haven't found an outfit to bring the baby home in yet. Newborn diapers."

"Newborn diapers? I thought you wanted to do cloth diapers."

"Well, I mean, I do…but we have to be practical. Not everyone can handle cloth diapers so if someone wants to look after her while I take a nap the least I could do is put her in disposable diapers."

"Hmm, okay, but we've already spent money on the cloth diapers." Regina huffed and waved her hand to dismiss her husband's comment.

"Why are you being such a penny pincher?"

"Hey, I'm not! It's just we're spending a lot of money on a kid that's not even here yet!" Regina placed her notepad down and regarded her husband for a moment, stifling the tears that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. "Hey, hey, why are you crying?" She sniffled and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. Robin reached forward to grab her other hand in an effort to comfort her.

"Listen, my marriage to Daniel wasn't exactly supportive. I come from money, yes, but I didn't get the benefit of it once Daniel and I were married. And then when we decided to have children, well that entire process took a lot of our money. I don't regret a minute of it, but there were some sacrifices that were made. This pregnancy wasn't planned but we're certainly in a better financial situation with this baby than I was when I was pregnant with Henry and…Hannah."

"Hannah?"

"Mmmm," she nodded, squeezing Robin's hand. "That's what we were going to call her." A beat of silence passed between them. Regina never really talked about her miscarriage and when she did he tried to give her space.

"Well, speaking of Hannah, we haven't exactly worked on names. Is that one you'd like to consider?" Regina's eyes bore into Robin's, his soul even. She had to stop herself. Clearing her throat before she responded,

"No, that name is for the child I lost. I don't want that name to haunt our child. We'll think of something else." Robin nodded his head, letting her hand go as Ruby brought over their order.

"Alright, have you thought of names at all?" He asked as he reached for the maple syrup on the table. Regina bit into her bacon and chewed for a few moments, concentration written on her face.

"Well, I have thought of some."

"Really, why haven't you told me?"

"I'm not sure they're good enough for consideration. And then I'm still concerned we might be having a boy. I'm not totally convinced that was just a mere slip of the tongue at the hospital."

"Hmm, well do you also want to consider some boy names?"

"It wouldn't hurt," she sighed out as she took a bite of her pancakes. She chewed slowly, thinking.

"Not what you wanted?" Robin asked, noticing his wife's lack of enthusiasm for this particular meal.

"No, not in the least. Bacon's good though."

"It is. So, names for girls? Want me to go first?"

"You've been thinking about names?"

"Well, yeah, why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know. Just doesn't seem like something fathers would do unless it was for a make - believe child and even then that's simple, they want a junior."

"Did Daniel want a junior?"

"Well, I think he did, but he also knew how important my dad was to me. He's the one that suggested we name Henry, Henry."

"And Daniel as the middle name?"

"Mmmm, my idea. And how did you and Lydia come up with Roland's name? You didn't want a junior?"

"Ha, Robin Jr. That sounds a bit weird, dontcha think?"

"Well, I suppose."

"Would you like to name a son Robin Jr?" She scrunched up her nose in thought.

"Well, now that you mention it, I don't think so."

"Right, so what are your thoughts on girls' names?" Regina paused mid – chew for a few seconds and then resumed chewing. She placed her fork down. She had given thought to a few girls' names and she wasn't even sure why one particular name came to her or if Robin would even entertain it.

"I was thinking…"

"Yeah?"

"I was thinking what about Lydia?" Robin sputtered out the orange juice he was drinking. He managed to swallow it down before his mouth hung open. "I'll take that as a no?" Regina immediately responded to his reaction. Robin sat his glass down and reached for Regina's hand.

"Oh love, that's very sweet of you to suggest that, but what made you think of that?" Regina pulled her hand back and placed it in her lap, fiddling with her shirt. She shrugged her shoulders before responding.

"I'm not sure, really."

"Well don't feel you need to suggest that name for me, alright? I don't need any reminders of my wife, just as you don't want any reminders of Hannah." Regina gave him pause. Perhaps he was right and that was very wrong of her to suggest naming their daughter after his dead wife. But she wanted to honor her memory. Naming their daughter Hannah after the child she miscarried was a different thing, but perhaps Robin saw it the same. "How about this, we don't suggest any names after people who have died, okay?" Regina nodded her head.

"Alright, well now I'll have to think of some other names. What names have you come up with?"

"My turn then?" Regina nodded her head. "Alright, I was thinking if we were going to stick with R names we _could_ do Robin, with a y so it's feminine." Regina let out a chuckle. "Hey, no laughing!"

"Sorry, sorry, continue."

"Thanks, so Robin with a y. Rowan, Rachel, Reagan, Rebecca, Ruth…" Robin paused. Regina was shaking her head no and sticking out her tongue.

"Where on earth did you get these names? I don't like any of them. And I'm not sure I want to go with a theme of R names. It's just a coincidence that my name, yours and your son's name starts with R,"

"Well, Roland's starts with R because my name starts with R."

"Well, okay, but I feel that would leave Henry out and I don't want to do that."

"I suppose because you were going to name your second child a name that starts with H."

"Yeah, that was pretty cheesy of us, wasn't it?"

"Naaa, parents do that all the time, just look at the Duggar family. Who knew there were that many names that started with the letter J?" Regina smiled. "Alright, so no H names either?"

"We don't have to take them completely off the table. I don't think Roland will be as bothered by his sibling having a name that starts with H than Henry might be upset if the name starts with an R."

"Or maybe the baby can have a first and middle name with H and R?"

"How complicated are we going to make this?" Regina laughed sardonically as she put the last bite of her pancakes into her mouth.

"I don't know. Why don't we ask the boys to name her then?"

"If we ask them we might get stuck with Squishy as her legal name."

"Ha ha ha, only if we ask Roland. I think Henry would actually come up with something."

"Perhaps."

"Alright, are you done eating?" Regina nodded her head.

"Yeah, wasn't very satisfying, but I'll live."

"Right, sorry love. We can try again tomorrow, if you'd like. How about we take this discussion outside? Maybe a brief jaunt down the street to Any Given Sundae? We'll get you some Rocky Road?" At that suggestion Regina's eyes lit up with a smile.

"That sounds like the best plan you've had all day, Mr. Hood." Regina picked up her jacket and purse while Robin stepped to her side of the booth and helped her slide out. She grasps his hands and he helps her put on her jacket. She didn't want to wear it, the heat of the day creeping upon her, but Robin insisted and sometimes it was just easier to give in because she knew it was how he was able to help care for the fetus.

They shuffled out the door of Granny's and headed down the street. It was a nice Spring day. The sun shining brightly and the wind blowing gently. The walk to the ice cream parlor wasn't a long one and so they spent it in silence.

"Good afternoon Robin, Regina," Ingrid nodded when they entered the shop. Ingrid had gotten to know both Robin and Regina very well over the past few months. Roland had quite the sweet tooth for Rocky Road ice cream and Regina used him as an excuse to satisfy her cravings. She didn't allow the sweets in the house because she didn't want to over indulge, so poor Robin made frequent trips to the ice cream parlor. And sometimes to save himself the trouble of comforting a weeping Regina when she wanted the ice cream at two o'clock in the morning he would buy a pint of the ice cream and hide it in the freezer. "Would you like your usual?" Regina nodded her head.

"Mmmm, yes please. Double scoop and maybe a drizzle of hot chocolate?" Ingrid chuckled and nodded her head.

"That I can do and Robin, what would you like?" Ingrid asked as she fulfilled Regina's order.

"Oh, nothing for me right now." Regina gave him a gentle shove.

"You're not getting anything? Not even sympathy ice cream? I'm going to feel like a fatty!"

"Oh love, I'm just not in the mood for ice cream right now."

"But you're the one that suggested it."

"I know, but you're always in the mood for ice cream and I knew it would bring a smile to your face given how disappointed you were with your breakfast." Regina leaned in and gave her husband a kiss.

"Well thanks for your consideration."

"Here ya go, enjoy!" Ingrid handed Regina her order and gave Robin a wink.

"Alright love, wanna head to the park? We can sit on a bench while you eat that." Regina nodded as she gave her ice cream a lick before joining her hand with her husband's. He led her out of the shop and across the street to the bench they liked to sit on while they watch the boys play. The couple sat in silence while Regina licked away at her ice cream, even offered Robin a lick which he begrudgingly accepted because truth be told, Rocky Road wasn't his favorite of ice creams.

"Welp, that's that. Can you take me home now? I need an afternoon nap."

"An afternoon nap? When did you start needing those?"

"When Squishy started zapping all of my energy. Although, this ice cream seems to have given her a sugar rush," she sighed out and rubbed her belly, hoping to calm down the active movements. Robin moved back her jacket so he could see their child stretching inside its mother.

"I will never get tired of seeing this."

"My belly contort in weird ways? It's actually quite disturbing."

"Maybe," he responded as he pulled his wife close, resting his hand on top of hers. After a few moments she shrugged him off and pushed herself to a standing position.

"Let's go."

"Alright, we'll go."

* * *

 _Bing_

"Is it time yet?"

"Robin just texted me to say he's taking Regina home for a nap."

"Great, here we all are with everything set up and the guest of honor is taking a nap."

"Can it, Leroy. She's pregnant. Pregnant women need their naps," Mary – Margaret admonished.

"Well how about this, why don't you just send out a mass text message letting everyone know when they're on their way? We don't have all day to sit and wait."

"Sounds like a good idea, Mare."

"But Emma I don't want anyone to leave in case they decide not to come back."

"How are we supposed to keep everyone entertained until Your Majesty is done napping?"

"Text him back and ask how long is this nap supposed to take, could he wake her in an hour?"

"Seriously?" Mary – Margaret gave Emma a hard stare. "Okay, alright, I'm on it." A few minutes went by while they waited for Robin's response. Emma's phone let out a ping. "Alright he says he'll give her an hour but gives us fair warning she might be a little grumpy."

"Tell him to make a good excuse, like he's taking her out to dinner or something."

"Okay, alright."

"Or maybe they need to come pick us up?" Henry volunteered.

"Or that, that works too." Emma sent the text off and waited with baited breath for a response. She wasn't sure why she was nervous. They were only throwing Regina a surprise baby shower. And while normally Emma didn't give a rat's ass about how Regina took things, she felt emotionally invested in how Regina would receive the shower. _Bing_. "Alright, Robin says that's a better idea. She'll be mad that Mary – Margaret managed to pick up the boys but not drop them back off, but it'll be okay. The worse we'll have to deal with is some grumblings about that. He makes no promises about her reaction to the shower though." They all let out a knowing nervous chuckle at how irritated Regina would be when Robin disturbed her nap, could imagine her wild eyes and pursed lips. Her facial expressions fooled none of them. She was all bluster, but they would humor her anyway.

* * *

"Regina, love." Robin gently shook his wife's shoulder. When they returned from their morning out she was so excited to finally sleep in their bed he hated to wake her. All their friends were patiently waiting and he'd much rather get this all over with. "Regina, come on love, it's time to wake up," he stated as he shook her shoulder again. She moaned a little. Good, this was good, she was rousing. He rubbed her back a little.

"Robin?"

"Oh, hey! You're awake!" he said sheepishly as he bustled about their bedroom, pulling out the outfit Mary – Margaret supplied for the baby shower.

"Robin, what are you doing? Why are you waking me up?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I accidentally wake you?" Regina sat fully up in the bed, a look of anger and confusion crossed her features.

"Accidentally wake me?" she repeated as she stared more pointedly at her husband. "I'm pretty sure you intentionally awakened me. I distinctly recall you shaking me and calling my name."

"Wha? I did no such thing! Why would I do a thing like that? I know how much you wanted to nap here in the bed," he responded standing near their dresser, not risking being physically close to her, just in case.

"Hmmph. I don't believe you. What are you doing in here anyway?"

"Oh, uh, since you're up, Mary – Margaret texted a little while ago to ask if we could pick up the boys."

"Really now? She couldn't drop them off?"

"Um, no, she said she uh, she had to stay with Neal."

"Where's David?"

"He's um, I'm not sure. I don't ask all these questions. I've learned it's best to just listen to the women – folk and do as the say. Less conflict that way." She pursed her lips.

"I don't believe you."

"Welp, whether you want to or not, it's completely your decision. And since you're up, how about a fresh change of clothes?"

"Change of clothes?"

"Yeah, I thought we could all go out to dinner to celebrate!"

"But we went to breakfast to celebrate."

"Yeah, but now we can celebrate with the boys!" She clucked her tongue.

"Robin, I don't know what kind of shit you're trying to pull, but I'm not in the mood."

"Do you not trust me?" Regina scoffed.

"What kind of question is that?"

"A question that I would like an answer to."

"Uh, no. I'm not answering that question in this context. I know you're up to something."

"Well, if I am, can't you just humor me? Us?"

"Alright, fine, if it gets me back to bed sooner."

"Great, now put this on," he says, handing her the dress and cardigan.

"Hmm, this looks familiar."

"Does it, now?"

"This looks like something Mary – Margaret would wear."

"Well, um, she loaned it to me."

"Why am I getting a special outfit for dinner out with the boys?"

"You've been lounging around in lounge wear for the past two weeks or so. I thought perhaps you'd like to wear something fancy. I know how fond you are of your fancy power suits."

"They're not fancy power suits. They are simply business suits. Suits I wear to conduct business."

"You're an editor. Why not wear some casual slacks?"

"What is this? We're critiquing my work clothes?" Robin was really digging himself into a hole. He was a terrible liar, especially when it comes to Regina. She can somehow see right through him. It was a wonder he managed to pull of his proposal. He came to kneel in front of her, pulling her hands into his.

"Okay, love, please just do this for me, okay? I'm going to put on some nice casual slacks and a polo. You're going to put on this lovely floral print dress and sweater. We're going to get into the car and go for a drive. We'll pick up the boys and go enjoy a nice dinner, out of the house."

"Well, what are the boys wearing?"

"Oh my gosh! They're wearing appropriate clothes, now let's go, I've got reservations and I don't want to be late for them." He didn't mean to come off so harsh but his patience was wearing thin. She would not get him to cave and tell her what was going on. He absolutely would not.

* * *

The mid – afternoon sun was less harsh than the noon one and, despite her sour mood, it was comfortable to bask in on the ride to pick up the boys. She pulled at the cardigan and picked off invisible lint from the disgustingly floral print dress Robin procured from Mary – Margaret. Well, it wasn't actually that bad but she was resentful of the entire situation. She thought it would be a good fine thing to get out of the house after being cooped up for the past two weeks, but she actually found it be quite an exhausting thing for her and right now all she wanted to do was crawl back into bed and sleep the rest of the evening. Perhaps wake up in the morning and try again, ease herself back into the swing of things. She felt a hand brush her shoulder. Her thoughts interrupted, she turned to glance at her husband – that infuriating man whom she loved with all her heart, her entire being, for if she didn't love him that much he couldn't upset her as much as he did. She reached out and grasped his hand, a gentle squeeze, a silent acknowledgement that she wasn't truly upset with him, but she didn't want to admit it.

They soon arrived at their destination. Town Hall. Regina sat up with a start. She looked at her husband, open – mouthed. Nothing good ever came from unexpected visits to town hall.

"What are we doing here?"

"Picking up the boys," Robin stated as he exited his side of the vehicle. Regina was a bit disbelieving and startled when Robin arrived on her side of the vehicle and pulled open her door. "Come on, love. Mary – Margaret's working on a project. We'll have to go in."

"Both of us?"

"Yeah, don't you wanna stretch your legs a little bit?" She tipped her head in acknowledgement. He offered his hand to help her out of the vehicle. He shut the door behind her and grabbed her hand as they started the walk to the entrance of the building. Robin nervously rubbed his thumb back and forth across the back of her hand. It was a tell of his and if anything, heightened Regina's suspicions that something else was going on. Clearly he was nervous and it took a lot of resolve to not immediately demand what was going on. It must be a surprise and she didn't want to ruin his hard work because she needed to be in control of everything. She let him guide her through the door and down the hall where they stopped in front of double doors. He squeezed her hand once more, bringing their joined hands to his lips. She looked at him, a silly grin spreading across her face. A silent, "it's okay" to ease his worry. He took a deep breath and pushed the doors open, pulling Regina behind him.

People, there were a lot of people there. People sitting around and people talking. People playing with streamers and ribbon and arranging tables and chairs and,

"Robin! You were supposed to text us to let us know you were on your way!" Emma shouted as she ran towards them.

"Uh, what? I did! Honest!" Emma patted her pants down to check for her phone. She came up empty – handed. She spun around in a circle, stopping when she spotted her phone on a nearby table. She sprinted forward and picked up the phone. Sure enough there was a text from Robin stating they were about to leave the house.

"Well, okay. Next time make sure someone responds, okay?" Robin nods his head.

"Oh, no, I don't think there'll be a next time." Regina states. Robin looks at her and gives a shrug of the shoulders. Emma grasped both Robin and Regina by the shoulders and spun them around, shoving them towards the doors from which they entered. "Emma, what are you doing?"

"This is a surprise baby shower. Go back through the doors, count to ten them come back in."

"Are you serious right now?" Emma merely stood with her arms crossed. Robin pulled on Regina's hand.

"Come on love, let's humor her since this will be the only time she gets to do it, okay?" Regina rolled her eyes and complied.

"This is quite ridiculous."

"I know, but it's something our friends wanted to do for us, okay?"

"Alright, alright. Has it been ten seconds yet?"

"I don't know. Why don't we start counting now?"

"You count, humoring her was your idea." Robin chuckled and nodded his head and began counting. Ever so slowly. He was relaxing into it now that he didn't have to worry about keeping the surprise from Regina. She let out an exasperated sigh and this time pulled on his hand to follow her through the double doors.

"Surprise!" Everyone shouted. Regina smirked and then fell into a giggle. Her friends were there and they went through a lot of trouble for her and even though the surprise was slightly ruined they still seemed happy enough for a reenactment. Mary – Margaret approached the couple and led them over to the guests of honor table appropriately decorated with a banner dotted with pink and blue balloons and "Parents to Be" swirled out in intricate cursive. They each sat down and held hands across the table while they looked on their guests.

"Alright, now that the guests of honor have arrived, let the festivities begin! What would you guys like to do first? Food? Games?"

"Presents?" Regina supplied.

"No, we're not doing presents first! We worked really hard on this! How about we all get a bite to eat and then we'll start on games?" Regina tilted her head in acceptance. She tried.

"Alright, what would you like to eat?" Robin leaned into Regina to ask.

"Well, assuming she stuck with the menu, I want a couple of turkey pinwheels and some chicken tenders with honey mustard sauce. Oh, and I also want some chips and buffalo chicken cheese dip. And maybe some celery and carrots with ranch dressing. But that needs to be on a separate plate. In fact, all of that needs to be on a separate plate. And fruit, I want strawberries and pineapple and honey dew melon. Did you get all of that?" Robin was nodding his head. Regina had never requested so much food, even in the beginning of her pregnancy when her cravings were really weird.

"Uh, yep, got all of that up here in the head, here." Robin tapped his head in demonstration.

"Robinnn," she whined out.

"What?"

"Remember what happened last time?"

"Yeah, you spent a miserable night without me. I got it babe, no worries." The look on her face indicated she didn't trust that he remembered everything she just told him. If he forgot something he'd be the one having to go back up to the food line to get it and with that satisfaction she relaxed back in her chair as Roland made his way over to their table.

"Were you surprised, mommy?" He asked as he made an attempt to climb into her lap.

"Oh love, I don't think there's any room on mommy's lap. Why don't you pull daddy's chair over here so you can sit next to me? And yes, I was greatly surprised!" Roland stopped his attempts and pulled his father's chair over to the other side of Regina. He leaned into her so he could wrap his arms around her neck and she peppered his cheeks and forehead with kisses.

"Did you find out what the baby was today?"

"Oh my little knight, we're waiting for the baby to get here." Roland pulled back and sat in the chair, a pout marring his features.

"No fair."

"What's not fair?"

"You won't tell me what the baby is so I can win the prize!"

"What prize?"

"The prize for guessing the baby's, the baby's sex?" Roland turned his head up towards Regina, questioning whether he or not he used that term properly. Regina chuckled and ruffled her stepson's curly mop of hair.

"Let's use the word gender, okay?" Roland nodded his head. "And sorry, neither your father nor I know the baby's gender. In fact the only person who might know is the doctor." Roland scrunched his face as he turned to look at her again.

"So we should ask the doctor to tell us!" He exclaimed as he hopped down from the chair in search of Emma to share is his information. She shook her head.

"Well, well, well. Look who decided to grace us with her presence," a distinctly feminine British accented voice that was not her husband's greeted her. Regina's mouth dropped open as tears sprung into her eyes and she slowly made to rise out of her chair. "No, no, I'll come to you. You still need your rest." The woman leaned down to envelop Regina in a tight hug. Pulling back she swiped away at the tears streaming down her sister's face.

"Zelena, my god, how are you even here? I mean, no one knew I was going to be able to come off of bed rest."

"Well, Mary – Margaret figured you'd pretty much demand to be let off of bed rest at your appointment today. Are you surprised?"

"I'm surprised you're here. I knew there would be a baby shower, but I didn't realize it'd be put together so soon! Oh, I'm so glad you're here." Regina exclaimed as she reached for another hug.

"Hmmm, those hormones have you really out of sorts, don't they?" Regina slapped her sister's shoulder.

"Oh hush. After this scare and what's happened with my past pregnancies…and the fight Robin and I had, I'm trying to be more appreciative of the friends and family I have around me that genuinely seem to care for my well-being. And we're all that's left of family. How could I let petty differences get in the way of that?"

"Oh, now you're going to make me cry!" Zelena responded, wiping the few tears that began to gather in her eyes.

"Seriously," Regina stated as she pulled Zelena away to properly look at her, "mom and dad are gone. We're all each other has and I am so glad you're here to share in this with me, honest." Zelena reached forward to envelop her sister into another hug.

"Alright, enough of that, I do believe Mary – Margaret has put together some games?"

"But Robin was getting my food, I'm not sure I want to play any baby shower games."

"Oh, come on mom! We've been waiting all day for you to get here so we can play games!" Henry cried out as he handed her a sheet of paper and pencil.

"What's this?" Regina asked as she took the items from Henry's hand.

"It's for our first game 'Dirty Diapers'! Everyone gather 'round so I can explain the rules." Mary – Margaret called everyone to one of the tables set up by the food. "Alright, now I'm going to set a timer and you'll have five minutes to figure out, without tasting, what brand of candy is in each of the diapers on the table. There are ten, so be sure to number your paper one through ten."

"Candy, in the diaper?" Killian asked. Emma elbowed him in his side.

"Yes, we melted chocolate candy in the diaper."

"Ewww, is this poo?" Roland squealed out after taking a peak in one of the diapers on the table.

"Roland, you're not supposed to look yet!" Henry pulled his step – brother away from the table.

The adults chuckled. "No, Roland, it's just different melted chocolate candy. Now, is everyone ready?" She looked around the table to see everyone nodding their heads. "Good, get ready, set, and go!" She shouted as she started the timer on her phone. Everyone seemed a little hesitant at first but once Regina started making her way around the table 'hmmmng' and 'ahhhhing' as she jotted down her answers they started getting in the swing of things. Robin was at her side and made some very strange faces whenever a new diaper was opened for viewing.

"This is actually kinda gross. These look like some of the diapers I had to change on Roland," Robin commented.

"Well, prepare for round two. I'm not going to be the only one changing diapers," Regina sassed at her husband.

"We've got an eleven year old and a five year old for that."

"Ewwww, I'm not touching that!" Roland squeaked out. Robin ruffled his son's hair and Regina smirked, shaking her head.

"No, of course we wouldn't ask you to do that. He's just a kid himself, Robin. Now pay attention, I wanna win a prize!"

"Why do you need a prize? You're getting the best prize of them all!"

"Oh, and what's that?"

"Thee actual baby!"

"Hmm, well that won't be here for another six weeks or so and I want to enjoy a prize now."

"Sorry, Regina, you getting to participate is just for fun," Mary – Margaret chimed in.

"Wha? You mean I actually don't get a prize?"

"Hey, this entire party is for you!" Emma commented as she swiped the diaper Regina was currently holding from her hands.

"Ugh, come on! You know how competitive I am! And this isn't for me! It isn't a Regina shower, it is a _baby_ shower, ya know, giving me things for the _baby_. What am I supposed to do with diapers and bibs and bottles and onesies?"

"It seems she has a point," Leroy gruffed out. Regina turned a hard stare at the rather short man.

"What are you even doing here? I thought you didn't like babies and least of all me."

"Meh, you're alright and I was blackmailed."

" _Leroy_." Emma cautioned.

"What? You told me I couldn't win the money if I didn't stay for this ridiculous party."

"Uh, time! Time! The timer's going off!" Mary – Margaret shouted in hopes of avoiding spilling their little secret.

"Money? What money are you winning?" Regina questioned as Emma grabbed her by the shoulders and redirected her back over to her seat at the head table.

"Now, now let's not worry about what that grump has to say, let's see who won the game?" Regina wrestled her shoulders out of Emma's grasp.

"You're keeping secrets."

"So what if I am?"

"Last time you kept a secret from me it was about my pregnancy."

"Well then whatever this secret is couldn't be as life – altering as that one, now could it?" Regina rolled her eyes.

"Alright Mare, let's get this over with, who won?"

"Well, first everyone write your name on your paper and trade it with someone else so they can grade it." It took a few minutes but everyone shuffled around their papers. "Okay, now I'm going to read off what each number should be and you mark whether the person got it right or wrong and then whoever gets the most correct wins!"

* * *

Mary – Margaret kept the party goers busy with a few more games before Regina's stomach let out a few grumbles at which time she declared that eating was next on the agenda. It didn't take much convincing for everyone else to agree.

"Now Robin, did you remember everything I asked you to get me?" Regina asked as Robin set down two plates on their table.

"I think so, if not I'll just go back up there, is that alright?"

"Hmmm, I suppose." Robin pecked a kiss to her cheek before seating himself and tucking into the food on his plate. Regina smirked, stuck out her tongue and took inventory of her plate. He remembered the chicken and the pinwheels and the chips and dip, but not the fruit and vegetables.

"Robin – "

"You wanted the vegetables and fruit on a separate plate," Robin calmly stated as he bit into a pinwheel. "Finish what you've got there and then I'll get it for you, okay?" Regina's mouth had popped open at Robin's ability to read her mind and now she quite looked like a fish opening and closing her mouth, struggling for something to say. Instead, she returned her attentions to her plate. As she bit into one her chicken tenders, she took a moment to survey everyone who came out to help her and Robin celebrate their miracle of life, for that is indeed what Squishy was. She had no idea, well, she did, but truly no idea how it was the life growing inside of her came to be without the difficulties she had with Henry and the child she miscarried. She sometimes struggled with understanding why she was gifted with it – was she finally doing something right in life? Was she finally deserving of happiness? God sent Robin and Roland to her and her life was seemingly complete, but the unexpected surprise of another baby, well that just unnerved her but made her giddy all at the same time. And her friends – she didn't know she had so many. She had Emma and Mary – Margaret and on the strange occasion, Mal and honestly she was surprised to see her sister there, but in the back of her mind she had to wonder how Mary – Margaret managed to ply the other fifteen or so people currently chatting amongst themselves into celebrating her impending birth. She smiled at a vision of the soft – spoken brunette strong arming them into coming.

"Ahem," came Mary – Margaret's voice from the area in front of the gift table. "Well, this has been quite fun and I'm sure you guys are about ready to head out, so, Regina, how would you like to open your presents?" Mary – Margaret's head pivoted towards Regina with an eerie smile. Suddenly, Regina felt rather uncomfortable.

"Uh, well, I…I mean, if people are ready to go – "

"Oh, nonsense, we all want to see you open your presents! Come on!" Emma chided as she approached the woman and pulling her towards a chair Mary – Margaret sat in front of the gift table.

"And we get to play my most favorite game!"

"Oh? And what's that?"

"Oh, um the bow hat game." Regina's eyes went wide, as if she were a deer caught in headlights.

"No, nope, no, nuh – uh."

"Oh, come on, be a good sport!"

"I am not putting some ridiculous paper plate decorated with bows on top of my head," Regina scoffed. Robin came up behind her and helped her settle into her seat. He leaned over to whisper in her ear.

"What's the harm love? Be a good sport. They all came out to celebrate you and me and the birth of our child."

"Well I'm not here to perform tricks. Need I remind you I very much wanted to sleep." Robin pecked a kiss on her cheek.

"I know love, I know. And the sooner we get through the presents and the silly bow hat, the sooner you can get on with the sleep you so desperately want, okay?" Regina nodded her head as she took one of the wrapped boxes Mary – Margaret had in her hand. She smiled gingerly and was mindful to delicately remove the bow and ribbon wrapped around the package and hand it off to Mary – Margaret.

"This one's from Granny," Mary – Margaret read from the card as Regina tore open the wrapping paper to reveal a sage green and lilac baby blanket.

"Oh, Granny, this absolutely beautiful! Did you make this?"

"Well, of course I did! I wasn't sure what colors to make it considering we don't know if it's a boy or a girl, but it's already made, so you're kinda stuck with it. When you finally do pop that kid out let me know its name so I can embroider it, kay?" Regina nodded her head and folded the blanket back up before passing it to Robin.

"Alright, next we have a gift from…Ruby," Mary – Margaret read off from the card taped to the box.

"Hmmm, why do all of these onesies have wolves on them?" Regina wrinkled her nose as she pulled out the outfits.

"Wolves are cool. I like wolves. Your kid should like wolves. Cuz they're cool."

"Uh huh, I see." Mary – Margaret handed many more boxes and bags for Regina to open. Surprisingly, Robin and Regina were give quite a lot of things and it suddenly made Regina feel a tad guilty for being resistant to the baby shower and for already purchasing so many things for the baby already.

"Alright, now I didn't have time to get you a proper present, but I think what I have to offer might actually be better," Zelena stated as Regina finished opening her last gift and setting it aside.

"Oh? And what's that?"

"Me!"

"You?"

"Yes, I was thinking perhaps I'll stay with you for a few weeks after the baby is born to help you all get adjusted. Whadya think?" Regina was taken aback by the offer. She glanced at her husband who merely shrugged his shoulders. The choice was completely up to her it seemed. "I know, it might be a little strange, but mothers normally do this, yeah? And well, our mother isn't here to do this for you."

"Well, not that I would want her to…"

"… _anyway_ – all you and Robin have to do is let me know when you have the baby and I'll be here in no time at all." Zelena finished with a grin. Robin grasped Regina's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. He leaned over and whispered into her ear,

"You know it might not be such a bad idea. We'll be new parents together and we'll have to figure out a routine with the boys and the baby." Regina slowly nodded her head.

"Alright, alright. Looks like we'll take you up on your offer. But maybe wait a week before coming down?"

"Sure, sure, I can do that." Zelena stepped forward and grasped her sister in a hug. Suddenly Mary – Margaret was clapping her hands together to gather everyone's attention.

"Alright, now the moment everyone's been waiting for! One final gift!"

"Oh you guys, really? This is quite enough and we have so many other things at home already."

"Welp, there's one item you don't have yet." Emma called from the doorway leading to a hallway. Regina quirked her head, desperately searching the recesses of her mind for what they could've possibly forgotten to get for the baby. "Alright boys, bring it on in!" After a few moments she saw Leroy, Killian and Clark carrying in a rather large rectangular box. Robin helped Regina to her feet as she approached the large package.

"What on God's green earth?"

"Open it momma!" Roland called to her.

"Do you wanna help me? It's awfully big!" Roland eagerly nodded his head as he charged forward to help peel the wrapping paper from the box. Regina let out a small gasp and tears rolled down her cheek. She blinked slowly.

"Oh my, you all got me a mattress for the crib?" She looked to the guests that were gathered 'round and were all grinning. Emma stepped forward, placing her hands on Regina's shoulders.

"Yep! And all it cost was a buy in to the gender pool!" Regina chuckled a watery chuckle and slapped Emma's hands.

"Yeah, so tell what it is so we can collect out funds!" Leroy shouted. Regina laughed some more.

"For the umpteenth time, _we_ don't know!" The small gathering let out a collective grumble.

"Alright, now for the final game!" Mary – Margaret exclaimed as she motioned everyone back over to the gift table.

"What other game could you possibly have?"

"Well, we need string to tie on your bow hat."

"Well, just cut some string, I don't see how this is a game." Mary – Margaret let out a sly grin.

"The way this game works, the bow hat isn't actually going to go on your head."

"It isn't?"

"Nope, here, everyone take the spool and try to guess how big the baby bump is. The closest length will be used to tie the bow hat around Regina's belly. Cuz it's the ultimate gift at the baby shower!" Mary – Margaret chuckled at her little joke. Regina's eyes went wide with shock.

"I don't want people trying to guess how big I am!" Regina complained. Robin gently nudged his wife.

"Just one more game, okay love? And remember, you're not big, you are growing a tiny human that needs lots of room and your body is being accommodating, alright?" Robin spoke into her ear in hushed tones. She slowly nodded and sat down while she waited for everyone to take their pieces of string.

"Alright, who wants to go first?"

"Meeeeeee!" shouted Roland.

"Okay, Regina stand up! Robin, will you help me?" Together Mary – Margaret and Robin took Roland's string and wrapped it around the widest part of Regina's belly. "Oh, Roland, I'm afraid it's too big!"

"Really Roland? You think mommy's that big?" The little boy could only shrug his shoulders and giggle.

"Alright, next!" A few more people took turns. They were smart and erred on cutting smaller pieces of string. "Okay, what do we think? Mallory's?" Mary – Margaret asked as she reached for Regina's best friend coworker's string for everyone to judge. They all nodded their heads.

"See babe? I know ya best!" Mallory exclaimed as she came forward to give Regina a hug.

"Okay, let's get this tied onto the plate and we'll all take a picture." Regina simply rolled her eyes while she let them make a spectacle of her. "Now, who shall take the picture?"

"I'm sure we can set someone's camera up for a timer," suggested Emma. They all scrambled to pull out their camera phones. Emma took hers and set up on the discarded boxes from opening presents. "Alright, here we go, we've got ten seconds."

"And only one shot!" Regina shouted above the din. Everyone scrambled to take their positions. After a few tense seconds, the camera flashed. Emma surged forward to look at the picture. She presented it to Regina for her approval. "Good enough, I'm not taking another one and Squishy wants cake." She plainly stated, rubbing her bump and divesting herself of the ridiculous bow hat wrapped around her belly. She then took Robin's hand and lead him over to the cake. She tsked.

"Hmm, such a shame to cut such a lovely cake." She took the cake cutter and in wedding style, placed Robin's hand over her own so they could cut it together. Robin chuckled into her ear. Sometimes she could be a romantic sap.

"Wanna do the cake smash?"

"So help me Robin if you smash that into my face you'll spend the rest of this pregnancy on that fancy pull out sofa." He held his hands up in surrender before grasping her shoulders and pulling her into a soft kiss. He pulled back and leaned his forehead onto hers. Her eyes closed at the contact. He lifted her chin and her eyes fluttered open.

"Are you happy my love?" Her eyes fluttered closed again and she leaned in towards his chest, wrapping her arms around his back, hugging him as close as possible. He dropped his hands to wrap them around her back, tracing soft circles and rocked them from side to side.

"Incredibly so," she whispered.

* * *

Sorry this took so long! I hope you guys are out there still reading! And as always, please R & R - constructive criticism is always appreciated!

H. A.


	39. The Manly Men Day

Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait! I hope you're still out there reading and are still interested in the story. I hope to have the next update up sooner. Enjoy and please R & R!

* * *

Lips brushed the small curve of her neck as she leaned it to the side to give him better access. It was early yet, five – thirty in the morning, but she was rather enjoying this particular morning. His hand raked up against her side under her night shirt and she let out a little giggle. He pulled back.

"What?"

"That tickles!" She sighed out, giving his arm a playful slap.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know you were ticklish there. I'll have to make a mental note."

"Hmm," she sighed out, drawing her arms around his neck. They lay on their sides, it was the best they could do given her ever expanding belly. He leaned to peck a chaste kiss on her lips before drawing back, his eyes very serious.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" He queried, searching her face. Another sigh escaped her lips and she leaned her forehead into his, licking her lips before responding.

"Robin, we've been over this. I'll put my feet up. I'll be sure to sit down for the majority of the day. I really want to get out of this house for a change. I've got cabin fever really bad. If I start to feel anything, anything at all, you'll be the first person I call and then I'll have Mal drive me to the hospital straight away, okay?" she finishes off with a peck to his lips. "Now, why don't you go downstairs and start on breakfast, hmm?" A kiss. " Rumi and I are quite famished and I need a shower." Robin made a face. "You don't like it?"

"Meh, I suppose we could put it on the list? And didn't you shower last night?"

"I did. And growing a small human tends to make you sweat in places. Now let's get going, we still have to get the boys ready. Help me up." She reclined in the bed, reaching her hands out to her husband so he could pull her from their mattress.

"Alright, is there anything in particular you want for breakfast?"

"Hmmm, how about toasted bagel with cream cheese and some fruit? Strawberries and pineapple? Oh, and coffee." Robin nodded his head on the way out the bedroom door.

"Kay, I'll make sure the boys are up, dressed and ready to go then," he offered a simple wave. Regina chuckled and made her way into the ensuite bathroom for a quick shower. Truth be told, she was a little nervous about returning to work after being gone for two weeks on bedrest. She worried how her coworkers would receive her return. Would they tip toe around her? Would they be overly helpful? Would they allow a normal routine? Mal only commented how much she missed their banter around work and that Sydney was looking a little forlorn around the office. That man, here Regina was married and pregnant and here he was with that schoolboy crush on her still.

* * *

True to his word, Robin prepared breakfast and the boys were all seated at the table in the kitchen waiting for her to finish getting ready for work so they could enjoy the meal together. It may be the last time they could have a calm breakfast for a few years. Regina found herself smiling at the thought of having chaotic breakfasts trying to feed an infant, her two older boys, and her husband.

"Everything okay, mom?" Henry asked with a mouthful of scrambled eggs.

"Henry, not with your mouth full, and yes, everything is just fine."

"Especially now you can go to work?" piped in Roland. Regina mussed the boy's curls while she seated herself in front of her bagel and fruit plate.

"Yes, especially now I can go to work."

Robin laughed and brought his hands to his cheeks, dropping his mouth open, "Oh no! Whatever shall we do with ourselves now that mom is going back to work?"

"Well, I would hope the boys are going to summer day camp and you sir, are going to work."

"Well maybe I took the day off and us manly men are going to have a manly men bonding trip today."

"Really? You couldn't wait for the weekend?"

"Please mom? We're not doing anything special at camp," Henry begged with his hands folded under his chin.

"Except for coloring and watching movies! I don't wanna miss coloring and movies!" Roland cried out.

"Awww come on, Ro, we've got coloring books and movies here at home. You can do that anytime."

"But not with Thomas! Thomas is at summer camp."

"Is this what we're spending our money on? Coloring books and movies? I thought this was an enrichment summer camp."

"Well, we don't do this every day. Field trips are on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Movie days are on Mondays and Fridays and we don't do that until the afternoon when we've finished with lessons for the day," Henry explained.

"Uh huh, and what about Wednesdays?" She asked, taking a bite of her bagel.

"Wednesdays are arts and crafts days! I brought you the picture last week!" Roland yelled as he hopped out of his chair and rushed to the refrigerator where sure enough there was a picture of what looked like Roland and Regina seated on the sofa looking at what she supposed was the television. He brought the picture to her so she could see it once more.

"Oh, that's right! I asked if you could draw us outside next time so the counselors don't think we're lazy and sit around watching movies all day."

"See dad? I have to go to camp so I can make mommy a new picture!"

"Well son, today is Monday so you still have Wednesday to go, but if you really want to go I can take you to school and Henry and I will have manly man day, just the two of us." Robin responded, standing behind Henry with his hands on the boy's shoulders. Henry simply looked up at Robin and then back to his mom. Her smile beamed back at them, reflecting how full of love for Robin her heart was at the mention of wanting to spend some alone time with _her_ son. She gave a slight nod of her head and Henry turned around to slap Robin a high five.

"Is that what you want, Roland? Do you want to go to camp and not spend the day with your dad and Henry?" Regina asked her youngest child.

"Umm," he cocked his head to the side, tapping his chin in thought. "Yes, please!" He shook his head. Robin and Regina chuckled. She reached out and ruffled the boy's curly mop.

"Alright then, grab your stuff and I'll drop you off," Robin then turned to Henry. "Why don't you help your mom make us some sandwiches? Pack us a picnic lunch and extra snacks just in case we stay out all day?" Henry eagerly shook his head and headed off towards the counter where they kept the bread and then opened the refrigerator to pull out meats and cheese for their sandwiches. Roland took off for the stairs to get his book bag that contained his coloring books and pencils and action figures he brought with him everywhere he went. Regina chuckled and shook her head. She hauled herself out of her seat and began clearing the table away. Robin helped collect the dishes and brought them to the sink, beginning to rinse the dishes and load the dish washer.

"Okay Daddy, I'm ready!" Roland shouted as he appeared in the doorway of the kitchen. Robin chuckled, drying his hand on the dish towel before leaning over to drop a kiss onto his wife's temple. She turned to kiss him full on the mouth, trying her best to convey how happy it made her that he wanted to take Henry on a Father/Son day.

"Alright, my boy, let's go! I have to hurry back to drop mommy off at work." Roland took off in front of Robin towards the front door. Robin watched his son scamper off before pressing another kiss to his wife's lips. She gave him a playful shove.

"Go on, hurry back so you can drop me off at work. Apparently I'm too invalid to drive myself."

"Nonsense! I know you're fully capable. I'm just trying to take one stressful thing off your plate."

"Driving myself to work is stressful?"

"Yes, you have to load all your things and manage to sit behind the wheel, then look out for all the other crazy drivers that drive on the road, fine a parking spot, unload all of uour things and walk to the front door, take the elevator up to your office…see? Those are stressful things!"

"Hmmm. I'm going to gather my things and finish up in here. If you're not back in fifteen minutes I'll drive myself."

"Regina," Robin cautioned.

"Robin. The doctor said it was fine! It's just a short drive over to the publishing house, alright?"

Robin let out a sigh. He was trying his darnedest not to be overly protective and concerned, but Regina hasn't had good experiences with pregnancies and he just can't help worrying. He knows it annoys her and he tries to tone it down and she's been strangely not as annoyed lately, but he can tell her patience is wearing thin. Perhaps because of the stress of returning to work after a two week absence. The amount of pressure she puts on herself at work can't be good for the baby, but he hadn't wanted to tell her that. So, yes, he volunteered to drive her to work every morning and to get up and make breakfast for everyone and to clean up the kitchen so there are less things for her to worry about. And today's father/son trip was another one of those things. He wanted to make sure the boys spent quality time with the parents so they don't feel neglected when the baby arrived. His and Regina's attention would focus largely on the brand new addition because babies tend to need a lot of attention. And he would be remiss if it didn't make him all giddy inside to have this with Regina and he felt a little guilty that he wanted to lock the three of them away to enjoy for a little while without Henry and Roland. He couldn't possibly convince Regina to do that, but he could make the suggestion that perhaps the boys should stay with David and Mary – Margaret for a few days after the baby was born so they could get adjusted. He watched his wife continue rinsing off dishes, pots and pans and load them into the dishwasher. She bustled around the kitchen, tossing him a stern look, reminding him he needed to scoot out the door if he wanted to give her that ride to work.

Roland was seated patiently in the front passenger seat. The little boy knew he needed to sit in the backseat in his booster seat. However, every once in a while, Robin would let the boy ride shotgun if it was just the two of them. He liked to give Roland special attention every now and then and it was just a short ride over to the community center, so he figured, what's the harm?

"Alright son, ready to go?" Roland nodded his head enthusiastically.

"Uh – huh!" He declared. Robin looked over at him and smirked.

"And you're sure you want to go to camp today? Not hang out with just me and Henry? Have a guy's day?" Roland turned his head to look curiously at his father as he pondered his initial decision. Was it worth it to go to camp with all his friends and color all day long, play with his toys and hang out with his friends without having to do school work?

"Yeah, I'm sure!"

"And you understand when the new baby comes Regina and I will have to spend a lot of time with him or her? They will need a lot of our attention."

"Why?"

"Because, son, babies can't do things like you. They can't feed, or clothe themselves. They're just helpless little things."

"What does helpless mean?"

"Uh, well, it's just like I said, they need a lot of help doing things you already know how to do."

"Then I can teach them! I'll be the best big brother! Can I help you and mommy help them?"

Robin chuckled, clearly Roland wasn't grasping the concept of all of mommy and daddy's attention will be elsewhere.

"Sure, son, sure. And remember, practice patience. If Regina and I get tied up with the baby, you might have to entertain yourself for a while, or spend more time with Henry. And stay out of trouble so we're not in a bad mood if Regina and I can't attend to you right away, okay?" Roland looked down in lap, trying to absorb everything his father was saying. Robin hoped the information wasn't too much and that it wasn't too far over his head. He'd hoped to spend the day with both boys imparting all this information. He was starting to get more nervous with the fast approaching due date of the baby. He certainly didn't want to not pay attention to the boys, but he knew babies took a lot of work and sometimes the other children feel neglected. They've had all the attention from both parents focused on them for so long, they might need a little adjusting to not having that for a while.

"Okay daddy," Roland responded after a few moments.

Soon, they were pulling up to the parking lot of the community center. Robin glanced down at the clock on the dashboard. He wouldn't have time to walk Roland in and get him settled per their usual routine. Robin wasn't sure how serious Regina was about not waiting for him to take her to work.

"Alright son, I'm going to drop you off at the front door so I can get back to Regina."

"You're not coming in? Henry's not here." Robin reached out at ruffled his son's hair.

"I know, but you're getting to be a big boy now! You're going to be a big brother very soon, and this is what big brother's do. Walk themselves and their younger sibling into school, or in this case, camp. Henry does this for you, right?" Roland glanced down in his lap to consider his father's words. He looked back up, squinting his eyes as if deep in thought.

"I guess," he sighs before opening the door. Robin had never seen his son look so dejected.

"Roland, you can change your mind if you want to come back home and spend the day with me and Henry. It's okay." Roland looked up at his father.

"No, it's okay. You're right, I am a big boy now and big boys can walk themselves to camp." Roland inhaled deeply, picked up his back pack and started the journey to the front door of the building. As Robin watched his young son, he could his shoulders straighten more, his head pick up more and level out, his confidence increasing with each tentative step. Robin never considered what a transition it would be for Roland to not be the baby anymore. Now he wasn't so sure about not walking his young son to the front door for summer camp. With one last glance towards the car, Roland lifted his hand and gave his father a wave before disappearing inside the building. Well, at least the boy seemed to be in okay spirits about it now.

* * *

The short drive back to the house was filled with deep thought and heaviness in his heart. Perhaps he should have insisted Roland spend the day with him and Henry. Or perhaps he can have a day with just him and Roland. Either way, Robin decided, he wasn't going to let the disheartening exchange with Roland taint his spirits for his day with Henry. He pulled into the drive to see Regina exiting the front door with Henry. She was holding her briefcase while Henry carried a cooler, a thermos, and Regina's lunch bag and purse. Quite a pair those two made. He parked the car and exited quickly.

"Here love, let me get that for you," he outstretched his arm to take the briefcase from her as she approached the passenger side of the car.

"Excellent timing dear," she said sardonically.

"Why thank you!" He quipped with a grin. She simply shook her head. Once seated, she outstretched her arm to Henry, reaching for her lunch bag.

"Alright Henry, why don't you put that stuff in the trunk and you can ride with us." Henry nodded his head and hurried around the car to do as his mother suggested. Robin warmly placed his hand on the small of his wife's back, causing her to pause.

"Something wrong?" She whispered, turning towards him.

"Well, I wanted to talk a little bit about Roland, in private." She nodded her head, her lips forming an 'oh'.

"Um, Henry, change of plans," she called to her son as he slammed the trunk shut. Both she and Robin winced. "Henry, what I told you about slamming the trunk and doors to the car?"

"Sorry, mom," he responded sheepishly. "You said change of plans? Is everything alright? Are we not having a guys' day anymore?" Regina could hear the sadness in her son's voice.

"Oh, no, no, nothing like that. Robin and I have something private to talk about. Do you mind terribly to stay here at the house while he drops me off at work?" Henry glanced down at his feet.

"Well, I guess not. You won't be gone long. Everything okay with you guys?" Robin and Regina chuckled at his concern. Regina drew him into her side to give him a hug as best she could with her belly even more pronounced.

"No, love. Everything's alright between us. And even if it weren't we would try to work on it without dragging you boys into it," she sighed, pulling him even closer, inhaling his scent. Henry was growing up, Roland was growing up. What were they thinking having another child? Robin placed his hands on both Regina and Henry's back. Regina looked up at her husband. She withdrew from Henry and Robin spun Henry to face him.

"I just wanted to discuss with your mother some things we could do with Roland to help him."

"Help him? What does he need help with?"

"Well, he won't be the baby anymore and I don't think he realizes, or maybe is just starting to realize what that might mean for him. It could be confusing for him. Or he could be just fine, but we don't really know. And I don't know how this is all affecting you either. That's why I wanted to have this day with you, both of you. However, given Roland's priorities seem to be elsewhere, I wanted to pick your mom's brain about what we should do." Henry nodded his head in understanding.

"Okay. I think this should be a family thing, but you're the parents."

"A family thing?"

"Yeah, we're _all_ a family, right? We should make the best decision for _all_ of us."

"Well, ideally, yes, but sometimes the parents are better suited for some decisions." Regina supplied. Henry nodded his head. "Good, now go on inside, Robin will return shortly." Henry nodded his head and turned to head towards the door. Before he could start, he briefly turned back around, wrapping his arms tightly around his mother's middle, but carefully so as not to harm the swell of her belly. Shocked, Regina tentatively reached her arms around her son, dipping her head once more to smell the scent of his shampoo. The moment was over almost as soon as it started as he pulled away and trotted towards the front door, waving at the parents before disappearing inside. Robin allowed her a moment before clearing his throat.

"Shall we? You're going to be late." She nodded her head as he helped her slip into her seat. Robin rounded the car and climbed into the driver's side, starting the car and placed it in gear.

She cleared her throat, "So, what did we need to talk about with Roland?" Their car ride probably wouldn't be long enough for what Robin wanted to talk about.

"Well, I don't think Roland quite understands he won't be the baby anymore and that most of our attention will be on Squishy."

"He seems excited about Squishy." Robin nodded his head in agreement.

"Oh, I truly think he is. I think he's excited to have a baby around. But I don't think he knows what it means to be a big brother. He's going to be the middle child now. I don't want to give him a middle child complex, if you get my drift."

"Yeah, I hear what you're saying. But that was the whole point of having this guys' day – although I wasn't expecting it to be today," she added.

"Sorry about that. I wasn't sure when the best time to do it was and since we've been dealing with this almost premature birth I didn't want to risk missing a chance to do it before Squishy makes their appearance. And given Roland was more excited to go to camp than to hang out with just me and Henry well…" he trailed off.

"He's just a little boy. Not having all of mommy and daddy's attention must seem like a foreign concept for him. Reality won't hit him until the baby is actually here and taking all of our attention."

"Right. How are we going to handle that?" Regina pursed her lips in thought.

"Honestly? I have no idea. Henry and Roland already enjoyed each other's company before we moved in together and actually got married. I think that was easier for Henry to adapt to having a younger sibling, especially since Roland wasn't a baby. Henry's older."

"Well, for the _most_ part Henry hasn't had a problem sharing you." Regina eyed her husband at his honest assessment of Henry's adjustment, even though it was a criticism of _her_ baby boy.

"I know you meant that with love."

"Sorry, wasn't sure how that was going to come out. Intentionally breaking someone's toys and DVDs – well, it's hard to know if that's acting out or brothers being brothers."

"Right. Well, what do you think we should do about Roland?"

"Well, Henry's getting a guys' day with me and while I hoped to have a day with both of them, now I feel a little guilty it will just be Henry. If I wanted to do one with just Roland, I don't know how Henry would react."

"Well, I think he's old enough and wise enough to understand he got a day with you and now it's Roland's turn."

"You don't think he'll argue he and I only got a day together because Roland didn't actually _want_ to come along?"

"If he does we'll just have to further explain that even though that was the case, Roland still deserves one on one time. Maybe I'll do something with Henry, just the two of us." Robin nodded his head in agreement with his wife. He was quite pleased with their discussion, not expecting it to go as well as it did. Sometimes she spoils for a fight, especially when it comes to their different parenting styles for their own child. Perhaps the family therapy sessions were doing some good in their lives, after all, the fetus growing in Regina's belly was going to be the biggest challenge on their ability to actually raise a child together from start to finish.

It wasn't long before Robin was pulling up to the publishing house. The drop off area loomed in front of the entrance. A glance to the side and he could tell his wife was a bit more nervous than she let on. Her chest expanded and deflated with each inhale and exhale. He reached out his hand for hers, startling her. She shook her head, silently letting him know she didn't need his comfort or support, this was something she had to do on her own. He wasn't sure what demons she was trying to comfort with this big show of hers, but if she wanted to battle it out on her own, he would let her. She would come to him if she needed him. That was the best way for them to work together; for him not to push her, she had to be ready. Once Dr. Hopper helped him realize that most important detail about Regina, he was pleasantly surprised how much more open about her feelings and dreams and love she became. It was like watching a flower bloom for the first time and she bloomed just for him. He wanted to take great care of his beautiful blooming flower – to water it and shower it with sunshine every day. He nodded his head once as she reached for the handle of her passenger seat. Robin left the car running as he exited to retrieve her lunch bag from the trunk. He quickly rounded to her side as she shut her door and handed her the bag. She took it from him, grasping her briefcase in one hand and the lunch bag across her chest. Robin smiled to himself thinking how much she resembled a schoolgirl on the first day of school. He leaned over to press a kiss to her forehead. She glanced up, whiskey brown eyes peaking from behind long eyelashes and offered a small smile, mouthing an 'I love you' she set off towards the sliding glass doors, anticipation building in her low belly.

Satisfied with his wife's retreating figure, Robin returned to the car and set out thinking what activities he might do with Henry. In truth he hadn't really thought guys' day out all the way. With Roland no longer in the mix, Robin needed to actually plan out something. Otherwise, it would've been such a simple thing for them to perhaps spend the morning with Roland coloring and Henry reading his comic books. Perhaps make lunch together or order out pizza and pick a new movie to watch and just vegetate on the sofa. Later in the evening they could head out for some grocery shopping to make dinner for Regina after her first day of work. It all seemed like such a simple plan when considering the five – year old. Now, Robin had to actually focus on Henry and have a man to man chat with the twelve – year old. He didn't want to make a big deal about more changes around the home – why make an issue out of a non – issue? So maybe he would just pick Henry's brain about what they could do today and hopefully conversation would flow from there. He's bonded the best way he knows how with Henry, given he's not biologically Henry's father. Robin has never tried to make himself more than what either Henry or Regina is comfortable with. Henry has vague memories of Daniel and seems rather indifferent, but sometimes he catches Regina with a faraway look in her eye, watching Robin and Henry interacting and he can only assume she's imagining what life would be like if Robin were Daniel. If Roland were _their_ second son, if the baby she's carrying right now were _their_ long awaited daughter. Yes, deep in his heart, for some reason, he _knows_ she often thinks about them in that way, because sometimes he too wonders if this is the life he and Lydia would share. Robin also knows there's no sense in dwelling on what might have beens because that only tends to drag oneself down. He should instead revel in this new dynamic he's found himself in. To take comfort and solace in braving through those darkest of dark hours in which he found himself up in the middle of the night practically on the verge of tears asking God why oh why did He have to take Lydia from him, from them. Why couldn't he have had her for forever as promised in their wedding vows? Where had he gone wrong? Where had they gone wrong to have Death's grip take hold of her and yank her from their lives? Yes, he braved through those dark times and came out ahead of his grief – stricken heart to the light that is Regina Mills; her smile lighting up even the night sky with the brilliance of one thousand suns. And so his heart nearly shatters whenever she goes dark and he can't be the light for her as she is for him. It's different for her, he knows. Daniel was the risk she took. She gave up everything for a life with him and to lose him was the biggest loss of all. Her entire being was wrapped up in him and their life together. Her mother practically disowned her and her father was trapped in a loveless marriage, watching his most beloved daughter from afar. Somewhere, she knows, her mother only wanted what was best for her. Cora didn't want Regina to turn out like her – knocked up and in a sham of a marriage for what she thought was love. Having to give away her child because it hurt too much to try to raise the child that at one point in time represented a love she thought would last, such a painful reminder. Cora didn't want for Regina to know that pain and loss of young foolish love, misguided though she was. In some ways, it makes it hard for Regina to love – doubts like those can be buried but they never truly leave your psyche, so he is patient and gives his love more freely to her than he ever thought possible just so she knows her second marriage won't be like her parents'. He loves _her_ and he knows her love for him is sometimes timid and other times overwhelming. It's almost like she suddenly remembers it's alright to love him with every fiber of her being and at those times she scares the heck out of him for after Lydia, he was certain he would never feel such a deep connection with anyone ever again. They're at this new place in their lives and they haven't really addressed it. He's in awe of her, in awe of them and this life they've managed to create together, like the phoenix rising from the ashes of love torn asunder. He wants to lock them away, just the two of them and _their_ baby, in _their_ own little bubble just for a little while, but he can't. That absolutely will not do. That's very selfish of him, but perhaps a weekend getaway with just the two of them will suffice, before the baby arrives. Maybe he could convince Emma or Mary – Margaret to keep their two sons for the weekend and he and Regina can just take time for themselves to reconnect and prepare for the next step in their lives.

He doesn't know how it happened, but Robin is too soon pulling back into the driveway of the house on Mifflin Street and there's Henry bouncing a basketball in the driveway as Robin pulls in the car. The boy's face lights up in a grin that stretches from ear to ear. He jogs up to the car as the window rolls down.

"Hey, what's got you so excited?" Robin asks. Henry simply shrugs his shoulder.

"I guess I get a day off from enrichment camp and we get to goof off and mom's not making me do stuff. It's truly a day off!"

"Alright, well hop in," Robin motions with his hand. Henry rounds the passenger side of the car and gets in, buckling himself.

"So what are we going to do?"

"Ah, well, while I had been planning on a guys' day with both you boys, I hadn't exactly planned out anything. With Roland involved, I thought we would just hang around the house, vegging out in the den watching movies and eating pizza til your mom came home."

"Robinnn," Henry whined out.

"Well, what would you like to do?" Henry tilted his head, bringing his hand to his chin as if deep in thought.

"Can we go to the arcade?"

"Video games? You have video games at the house."

"Yeah, but I don't have the same games. And it's different. And then maybe we can go fishing!"

"Fishing?"

"Yeah! My friend Grace and her dad go all the time. Sometimes they let me tag along, but it's not the same." He finishes glancing down towards his lap.

"Alright, well, maybe we do fishing another day. A day we actually plan out. We need things like fishing rods and baits and lures and I need a fishing license." Henry's bright smile suddenly disappeared from his face. Robin reached over and tilted his head up towards him. "But that doesn't mean we can't do something else."

"Do something else like what?"

"Well, it's a little known secret and I think your mom would freak if she found out about this, so we'll just have to keep it between the two of us. Not even Roland knows." Henry's eyes got big as saucers.

"Not even Roland?"

"Nope, not even my own son."

"Well, what is it?!"

"It's a surprise. We'll do the arcade first." Henry shook his head.

"No, I wanna do your secret surprise. The arcade will always be there. We won't have a free day to go off and do things that mom would freak out about." Robin let out a hearty laugh and nodded his head. Placing the car in gear, he reversed out of the driveway and set out towards the outskirts of town.

* * *

The light and excitement never died down from Henry's bright beaming eyes as Robin pressed forward to their destination. The ride was silent, only the radio on low bursting with static every now and then. Storybrooke had one radio station and it didn't reach to where they were going. Soon, Robin pulled off onto a gravel road, one Henry must recognize because he sits higher in the seat and his mouth drops open wide.

"We're going to the stables?!" He practically screeches out.

"Uh, actually, no." Henry's face drops and he curiously stares at Robin as he drives past the open coral.

"Well where are you taking me? Are you taking me into the woods to murder me and have mom and Roland all to yourself?" Robin abruptly stopped the car.

"What? Son, what are you talking about? What would make you think of something as deranged as that?" Henry shrugged his shoulders.

"Lifetime Channel movies?"

"Well, don't say stuff like that, it's not funny."

"Sorry. But if we're not going horseback riding, it is kinda weird, you a grown man, taking me, a young innocent little boy out into the woods. Where no one is around." Robin leaned in heavily and resumed his trek down the gravel road.

"I should take you out more. There's a shooting range out here."

"You're going to teach me how to use a gun?!"

"Eh, not exactly."

"Well then what?"

"How about we shoot some arrows?" Henry's eyes went as wide as saucers, a dumbfounded look making its way across his features.

"Shoot arrows? You know how to shoot a bow and arrow?" The excitement in Henry's voice worked its way into the tail end of his question. Robin nodded his head, a grin spreading across his lips. "Holy shit! Does mom know about this?" Henry asks, eyeing his stepfather carefully.

"No, she does not and I bet she doesn't know you use that kind of language." Henry quickly clamped his hands over his mouth. "Good. Now I don't want your mother knowing about this because she already worries with me working at the Sherriff's office." Henry nodded his head and climbed out the car. Robin shut off the engine and followed Henry towards the small building housing rental equipment for targeting practice.

Henry's lips spread into a wide grin once Robin parked the car. He couldn't scramble out of the passenger side fast enough. Robin couldn't help the grin that spread wide across his face or the swell in his chest at bonding even more with his wife's son. Nothing made him more happy in that moment.

"Come on, Robin!" the young boy shouted once Robin exited the car and rounded his way to an excitedly bouncing Henry.

"Calm down Henry, we have all morning, okay?" Henry nodded his head as Robin's hand found his back and he guided them over to the small post in front of the shooting range. There was a gruffy gentleman seated with his legs propped up, reading a book in the window. Robin approached and slapped the man's legs down.

"John!" Startled, the man almost fell out of his seat, dropping his book to the ground below.

"Jesus!" the man cried out.

"Not quite," Robin responded, laughing.

"Jesus, Robin you scared me."

"Business slow this Monday morning?"

"Well, you could say that," the man replied, bending to retrieve his book. "What can I do for ya?"

"Well, me and Henry here," he started, slapping the boy on his shoulder, "would like to have a go at some target practice."

"Oh, I see," the man said as he leaned forward, conspiratorially. "You let this dope convince you to come shoot some arrows?" Henry eagerly shook his head. 'Well may I be the first to wish you luck!" John bellowed out.

"Hey, don't scare the boy! I'm trying to convince him I'm good father material."

"Oh, this Regina's boy?"

"Yeah."

"You've gotten taller since the wedding." Henry's grin spread even wider. John placed his book on the counter and stepped to the side so he could exit the standing shack and approached Robin and Henry. "Alright then, let's get you all set up here. First we'll need to pick your bow and arrow. Are you right handed or left handed?"

"Um, right handed," Henry responded, glancing at Robin, who only nodded his head.

"Great, now let me get my tape measure here," John said as he fumbled around in his pockets. "Ah, here we are. Now, hold out your arms," Henry did as the man instructed. "Good, now place your hands together and straighten out your fingers." John nodded, mumbling to himself as Henry complied. He took his tape measure and measured from Henry's chest to the tips of the boy's fingers and nodded his head. "Great, you can put your arms down, I'll be right back."

Henry went to stand back by Robin while they waited for John. Robin wrapped his arms around and pulled him into his side, trying to calm down the excitement in his chest. About ten minutes later John emerged holding a bow and a set of arrows. He handed them to Henry.

"Alright, here ya go. Do I need to show him how to use these things, or d'ya think you can remember?" John gently chided Robin.

"Har – har." Robin responded with a roll of his eyes not uncharacteristic of his wife.

"Will ya be shootin' today? Do I need to get you a set?" Robin shook his head.

"Naa, I'll just get Henry set up and help him. We won't be here for too long." John nodded his head and reclaimed his perch inside his shack.

Henry skipped off to the side of the building to the open field that held targets at various distances. Choosing an arrow, he placed the rest on the ground beside his feet before attempted to nock the arrow. Robin slowly jogged up to his side.

"Whoa, there son. Have you ever shot an arrow before?"

"No, I've seen it on tv a bunch of times. How hard could it be?" Robin let a breathy laugh, trying not to be insulted. Henry placed the bow, held steady, drawing the string back and released the arrow. It fell five feet in front of him. He turned to look at Robin, his face in a scowl that very much matched his mother's. He growled out as stalked forward to retrieve the fallen arrow and returned to Robin's side, offering the bow and arrow to his stepfather. Robin tried his best not to laugh as he first took the arrow and placed it on the ground and then took the bow.

"Alright, I'm going to show you proper stance first, alright?" Henry nodded his head, squinting his eyes as if in deep concentration. "First, plant your feet so you're facing parallel to the target." Henry watched Robin place his feet before mimicking his stance. "Good, now we grip the bow." Robin brought the bow up to demonstrate the grip. Then he picked up an arrow and continued on. "Nock the arrow, draw the bow, aim and let the arrow fly," Robin demonstrated, releasing the arrow with a snap. The arrow flew across the field and landed a few inches to the right of the middle of the target. Henry let out a loud whoop.

"Wow! You're really good! When was the last time you shot?"

"Well, it has been quite some time," Robin laughed as he handed the bow back to Henry. "Alright, you want to give it a try?" The pre – teen nodded his head eagerly as he grasped the bow and reached for another arrow. Robin stepped back with a swell in his chest as he watched Henry quirk his face in concentration calling to mind the technique he demonstrated moments before.

* * *

The automated doors to the publishing house opened upon sensing her presence at the entrance. The nerves pricked the back of her neck and worked their way down to her belly where it twisted and churned and felt very much like a bout of morning sickness was coming back with a vengeance. She swallowed thickly and stepped through the doors. Her feet carried her to the reception area where Gideon glanced up from his desk in surprise.

"Mrs. Mills! I wasn't sure if you were coming back!" He called out to her with a smile. He rounded his desk, outstretching his arms.

"Well dear, you didn't think pre – term labor would keep me away, did you?" He shook his head with a laugh.

"No, I didn't think it would, but, eh, you never know. Want me to help you with those?" He nodded his head towards her briefcase and lunch bag.

"No, I think I've got it, but if you wouldn't mind grabbing the elevator for me, I'd appreciate that. Kinda hard to maneuver these things around the belly here."

"Right, no worries! Here we go," he stated as they made it over to the atrium. He pressed the up button and they stood in awkward silence until a ding indicated the elevator's arrival. The doors parted and Regina quickly stepped in. Gideon leaned forward and pressed the button numbered three before Regina could part her lips. She shed a sly smile and waved good bye as the doors slid shut. For a few moments she leaned into the back wall of the elevator, eyes close, taking deep breaths. Gideon was easy. He didn't press too much about her absence. Hopefully the rest of the staff wouldn't be nosy either and leave her be.

The elevator came to a stop on her floor. The doors parted and took a deep breath before exiting.

"Hey Regina! Welcome back!" Mal jogged up beside her as she briskly mad her way towards her office.

"Hey Mal, how's it going?"

"Going great!" Mal tossed back as they rounded the corner. Regina stopped in front of her office door, trying to juggle her bags while simultaneously searching for her key. "Here, let me get that for you," Mal offered as she held out her hand for Regina's purse.

"Geez Regina, what all have you got in here?"

"Ah, stuff. You forget what life is like with a five – year old. Must be supplied with things for entertainment." Mal cocked her head as she pulled out a baggie with cheerios, another bag with dried fruit and two protein bars. "What? We also need snacks. Have you found the key or not?"

"Yeah, yeah. Here it is." Mal smiled as she took the key to Regina's office, inserting it in the lock and pushing the door open. Mal allowed Regina to pass in front of her. Regina headed straight for her desk, plopping her briefcase and lunch bag down. Mal clicked on the overhead light as she came to sit in the guest chairs in front of Regina's desk. Regina set about pulling out her lap top and the various folders her assistant brought to her while she was on bed rest. While waiting for her lap top to power up, Regina took out the various snacks from her purse and strategically placed them around her desk. Next she stood up and headed out of her office down the hall. Mal stayed in her seat and waited for the brunette to return with their customary cups of coffee. And what appeared to be a donut from the breakroom. Regina sat in her seat and quirked an eyebrow at her friend as she took a sip of her coffee.

"What?"

"Well, I'm not sure."

"Not sure about what?" Regina asked, sitting her coffee cup on the table and punching a few keys on her lap top.

"You, being back here at work so soon after everything that's happened." Regina let out an exasperated sigh, rolling her office chair over to her filing cabinet, selecting some files and sliding back to her lap top.

"Good grief Mal, I thought you'd be on my side, independent woman and everything."

"Well I am here for independent women, but not when independent woman is what, thirty – four weeks pregnant and just possibly delivered her baby early. I'm your friend, okay? A very concerned friend. We're all concerned about you and your baby's well – being, you can't fault us for that, can you?" Mal had reached out to grab her friend's hand in a reassuring gesture.

"Look, I appreciate your kindness, everyone's kindness. Yes, it hasn't been a whirlwind of fun these past two weeks, but what I would like to do is to get back to work. I need this distraction, okay? I was cooped up in that house trying to relax and keep the baby in, which is, surprisingly a stressful and tiring thing to do. I wasn't really able to work on any of my editing, what with Robin, the boys, Emma and Mary – Margaret hovering around me. So, I am here at work to get away from them and to actually do something that relaxes me," Mal looked at Regina pointedly, "going through edits with my red pen. Now, if you don't mind, I need to finish editing the last two chapters and sit with the art department to go over mark ups for the book jacket. Perhaps sit with marketing to discuss a small book tour for the last book." Mal sat back in her chair and held up her hands in defense.

"Alright, alright, you don't need to convince me of anything. I'll be sure to warn the troops lest they find themselves at the receiving end of the Evil Queen's wrath." Regina nods her head once.

"See that you do." Mal heads for the door. "Oh, and Mal?" Mal turns ever so slightly, bracing for Regina's next words, "Seeya for lunch? Maybe we order out? I have a craving for greasy fries." Mal nodded her head, a smile spreading across her features.

"Sounds good to me."

* * *

Regina reclined in her office chair. Her feet were propped up on one of the guest chairs. She had Mal bring it around to the side of her desk. Her eyes drifted closed in the darkness of her office. The lights were dimmed. Squishy seemed to have settled into a routine of afternoon napping and Regina was keen on catching a few winks given how active the baby was. Her mind just drifted to what a romantic evening with her husband would be like, how soon she could act on her fantasies and more importantly, how to convince her husband to fuck her. They were robbed that fateful night of their anniversary and now that she thought about it, she was rather annoyed and hot and bothered that Squishy interrupted anniversary sex. She was leaking a little and couldn't decide if it was a weak bladder thanks to the baby or her own arousal and then she wondered how exactly dark her office appeared to some random person walking outside. Could she put a do not disturb sign on the outside of her office and perhaps…

 _Ring ring_

Damnit. Her office phone startled out of her reverie. She cleared her throat before picking up on the third ring.

"Regina Mills."

" _Hi, Miss Mills?_ "

"Speaking, how can I help you?"

" _Hi, it's Ashley Boyd, from the summer camp?_ "

"Oh hi, is something wrong? Is Roland okay?" her voice hitching just a little.

" _Well, I'm not sure. He seemed okay earlier this morning when he arrived, but he's kinda been sitting off to the side and not really interacting with anyone. I went to ask him if he was okay and he started crying, stating he wanted to go home. I know there are only a few more hours until pick up time, but I'm having a hard time consoling him._ "

"Well, uh, have you tried calling Roland's father?"

" _We did, ma'am but he's not answering his phone._ " _Great_ , Regina muttered under her breath.

"Okay, alright. Just let me finish up a few things here at work and I'll figure out how to come get him. My husband dropped me off at work so I have no car."

" _Oh, well do you want me to try to reach Mr. Hood again?_ "

"No, no – I'll take a cab if I have to. Tell Roland I'll be there to get him as soon as I can, alright?"

" _Okay. Seeya soon!_ "

"Alright, bye – bye now," Regina bit out tersely. Just her luck. And what the hell, what if something had happened to her and the baby? They couldn't get in contact with Robin. She was a little heated, but she would have to worry about that later. Now, now she had to figure out how to pack away all of her things, beg out of work early on her first day back and somehow manage to pick her son up from summer camp.

She sat up in her seat, shut down her lap top and began filing away the folders she had strewn across her desk. A knock sounded at her door, she looked up at the intruder with an exasperated sigh, "What?" she bit out. Mal held up her hands with two paper bags in defense. Regina smacked her forehead. "Crap, I'm sorry Mal, I completely forgot you were bringing lunch."

"Is everything okay?" Mal asked as she ventured further into Regina's office, setting their lunch on the desk. Regina sighed, shaking her head, as she continued packing up the items on her desk.

"No, Roland's either having a temper tantrum at camp or something is terribly wrong with him, I'm not sure yet."

"Oh?" Mal quirked her head as she waited for Regina to further explain.

"The camp just called to say Roland's been crying and they can't figure out why and they can't reach Robin, so I need to go retrieve him. Only problem is, Robin dropped me off this morning," Regina finished off in a huff, plopping herself down in the chair. Mal reached out to grab her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Hey, that's no reason to get worked up. I can take you." Regina looked up.

"Since when you are so sympathetic?"

"Hey, I have a heart. It might be deeply buried, but that's why we get along so well, right?" Regina stared hard at her friend. "Okay, maybe it's our mutual hatred of Mr. Gold and our mutual ambition to prove that women are just as capable of getting shit done as men."

"You brought lunch." Mal nodded her head.

"I did. Do you want to eat it now or shall we go get the little one? We can eat at home."

"You're going to come home with me? And help me entertain the five – year old?"

"I've already told you, I'm not completely heartless." Regina let out a dry chuckle.

"Alright, alright. First, I need to beg off Gold. I just started back. He's going to think I'm weak for tending to my children."

"Hey, that's bullshit and you know it. You're a damn good editor. You're just as devoted to your family as you are to your work. If he as anything to say about today, I'll personally make his life a living hell."

"Please don't go through all that trouble on my account."

"Oh, you're just an excuse. I would do it anyway."

"Well, thank you for that. Let me go talk to him. Hopefully he won't be too terribly awful and then we'll go?"

"Good, that sounds good." Regina nodded her head as she stepped out of her office. Mal began collecting Regina's things and their lunch and headed down the hall to her office to grab her purse. As amused as she was with Regina actually being afraid of Gold for once, she was more irritated that Regina couldn't get in contact with Robin after he stranded her at work with no vehicle. While she understood him wanting to take care of his wife and child, he certainly was a knuckle – head about the entire situation. Men, sometimes they're completely clueless.

* * *

Inhale. Exhale. A knock and then another.

" _Yes?_ " his voice bellowed from inside the office. Another breath. And another and suddenly the door handle was retreating from in front of her hand. Startled, she let out a gasp.

"Miss Mills, I see you have returned," Gold greeted, pulling his office door further open, motioning Regina inside.

"Uh, yes, I have." She stood by the door, allowing Mr. Gold to precede her to his desk.

"Please, sit," he commanded with an outstretched hand.

"Thanks." Regina slid into one of the high backed office chairs which seemed to offer even less support to her strained pregnancy back than when she sat in them pre – pregnancy.

"To what do I owe this pleasure? Is everything alright?"

"Everything's great."

"Good, good," he nodded, giving her his completely undivided attention. A moment of silence passed between the two. "Well is there something I can help you with? We both know you're not one for simple pleasantries, especially not with me."

"Well, right to the chase then. I, uh, need to go home."

"So soon? The day has barely started."

"I know, but Roland he's, uh, not having a good day."

"Well, we don't always have good days, Miss Mills, and yet we seem to get through them."

"Yes, I know _that_. But Roland's only five years old."

"Uh – huh, I see. What about your husband?" Regina gritted her teeth.

"He's taken Henry for the day for some male bonding before the baby gets here. I can't get in contact."

"Oh, well that is most unfortunate."

"Yes, so you see, I must leave to go and collect my son." Mr. Gold paused, with his hands folded in front of him. He gave a brief nod before reaching for a stack of papers that seemed to have been pushed aside. "Does this mean I can go?"

"Oh, well, I suppose. I was hoping to discuss a book proposal with you and Sidney today."

"Oh, well can it wait until tomorrow?"

"I've been waiting for two weeks."

"Hmm, well, can we briefly go over the particulars?"

"I'm afraid Mr. Glass isn't available right now."

"You wouldn't discuss without me though, would you?"

"I've been deliberating on this for quite some time. I'm concerned with how this pregnancy and subsequent birth will affect your work life."

"I can assure you I have a very good work – life balance."

"Hmmm, but your passion for work used to be more."

"I have never sacrificed one for the other. Sure it was easier to be a little more dedicated as Henry got older."

"And it was just you and Henry. Now you have your husband, a step – son and a new baby on the way. Something is bound to get out of whack."

 _Knock knock_

A knock sounded at the door and before either Regina or Mr. Gold could respond, the door swung open to reveal one Mallory Pendragon.

"You 'bout ready to go, Regina?" Mr. Gold looked up at the intruder then back to Regina. Regina worked her jaw.

"Mr. Gold and I were just discussing some arrangements."

"Oh okay, great! Was he discussing the new proposal he wanted you to work on? He's going to let you work on it from home, isn't he?" Regina shifted her focus back to Mr. Gold, eyeing him curiously. Mal clearly had something over him.

"We haven't exactly worked out the particulars and Miss Mills was in here to inform me she needed to leave early."

"Yes, family emergency – those things tend to happen. We can't all always be so devoted to our work, especially if we're trying to promote a family friendly business. Customers like family friendly businesses, don't they, Mr. Gold?" Regina couldn't help but smirk.

"Ah, yes, that they do. Alright Miss Mills, go on home to Roland and we'll try this again tomorrow, shall we?" Regina nodded her head.

"Yes yes, we'll talk more on this tomorrow. Thank you."

"Alright, let's get outta here." Mal squealed out as she held the door open for Regina.

'Let's? As in the both of you?" Mr. Gold questioned.

"Don't worry, I'm taking my lunch break to take Regina to pick up Roland. I'll be back within the hour. You'll be alright." And with that, she shut the door.

"Thanks Mal, you have impeccable timing."

"Well, I figured he'd give you a hard time and when it started to reach the five minute mark I thought you might need some help." Regina simply smiled and the two women found their way down the hall to the elevators and out to Mal's car.

* * *

Robin and Henry slowly opened the front door to their house on Mifflin Street. Dull light reached their eyes from the den area just off from the foyer. They could hear the low hum of the television, but not much else. Robin motioned for Henry to advance in front of him. Henry nodded, holding up the bags of takeout, indicating he would take the food to the dining room. Robin made the slow ascent up the steps and moved into the den. Roland and Regina were cuddled up against each other on the sofa while Jurassic Park played in the background. It surely must have been an interesting day for Regina to allow Roland to watch such a scary movie. Then again, it was more like the movie was watching them. He approached the sofa and knelt beside it, his knees crunching on the way down. His breath caught in his throat as Regina shifted a little, unconsciously stroking her belly. Robin leaned forward to place a kiss upon her brow, stroking through her hair to encourage her waking. She shifted with a start, her eyes slowly blinking open. She blinked once, twice and then a startled gasp escaped her lips.

"Ro – Robin," she cleared sleep from her throat.

"Hey love," he responded with an uneasy smile. "I brought dinner." She nodded her head and made an attempt to sit up. That act was somewhat difficult with a thirty – four week baby bump and a five – year old body laying limp across her lap. Robin crossed in front of her to lift his sleeping son into his arms before offering a hand to help his wife to her feet. She stood, stretching her arms to the ceiling, popping her back, rotating her neck side to side until they too let out soft little pops. A yawn graced her features. She started moving towards the dining room, the smells of burgers and fries drifting surreptitiously throughout their home. Robin prepared himself for the verbal assault he was sure to receive given how he had three missed calls from the summer camp and two missed calls from Regina, and then one surprisingly from Mal. He knew he was in deep trouble and his wife's silent walk to the dining room made him nervous. He began rubbing circles on Roland's back, trying to wake the sleeping child. "Hey bud," he coaxed. "Come on son, it's time to wake up." Roland barely stirred. Regina yawned once more, turning to her husband, placing her hand on top of his. She leaned up to peck a kiss to the sleeping boy's brow.

"Let him sleep, he's had an exhausting afternoon. Why don't you just take him upstairs to bed?" She half – suggested, half – commanded.

"Has he eaten?"

"We had a relatively nice lunch and an afternoon snack. If he wakes later because he's hungry, you can feed him." She kissed the boy's cheek and smoothed her hand through curls that were sticky in the summer heat. He could always take a bath in the morning. Robin nodded and turned towards the stairs while his wife continued on to the dining room.

Henry had set the table and was in the middle of plating their food when Regina finally made her entrance. He looked up from his ministrations, trying to gauge just how upset his mom was.

"Heyyyyy mom. We brought dinner." She nodded as she pulled out her chair.

"I see. Did you and Robin have fun?" Henry paused.

"Um, uh, yeah. It was nice."

"Hmm, and what exactly were you men doing all day?" Henry got the feeling this was somehow an interrogation and suddenly he didn't feel comfortable answering his mother's questions without another adult present.

"Oh, we went to the arcade." He stated, finally finished plating the food and sat down. Regina lifted her burger to take a bite. She slowly chewed, pausing mid – chew when she heard the heavy footsteps of her husband approach. She swallowed her bite and placed the burger on the plate.

"Hmmm, and the arcade must have terrible cell phone reception, which I find curious because I haven't had trouble reaching you before."

"Oh, sorry love, that's my fault. I uh, made him leave his phone in the car. I didn't want anything to distract him from our day of bonding."

"Right, and your phone?"

"I didn't want anything to distract _me_ from our day of bonding?" Robin's voice hitched just a little at the end. They would keep their secret. They only needed a united front.

"Uh – huh." Regina picked up her burger and took a few more bites. She reached for some of the cheese fries in the middle of the table and followed that with a few sips from her milkshake. Robin knew he was in big trouble if this was the kind of food he brought home. "Well, I'm full right now, so, thanks for dinner, boys. Would you mind clearing all this away when you're done? Roland and I have had an exhausting afternoon. I'm going to bed early," she declared as she pushed herself back away from the table. Robin and Henry exchanged confused looks as they watched Regina saunter away. Henry leaned towards Robin.

"We are in such trouble!" The words tumbling out of his mouth in a hushed whisper.

"Yes, you are," Regina called from the hallway. Robin and Henry exchanged astonished looks. Robin half – expected Regina to return to them, but after a few minutes and no other indication, he resumed his meal and indicated Henry should do so as well.

"Are you alright enough to clean all this up while I go do some serious damage control with your mother?" Robin asked Henry once they were done with their food.

"Yeah, please fix this. I don't want her to be mad at me or you."

"Well, I don't think she's mad, disappointed maybe."

"She's really pissed, she didn't even chew you out at dinner."

"Well, no she didn't, but perhaps she's had time to calm down and would much prefer a civil conversation."

"As to why she couldn't get in contact with us to come pick up Roland? And that she can't believe you left her stranded at work? And that you promised you'd only be a phone call away if she needed anything?" Robin had played the voice messages aloud in front of Henry before he knew what they were about. He initially assumed she was feeling a little sappy because her boys were spending the day together. Her voice messages were stressed and with each one he could hear her agitation pique and the last one from Mal because Regina was too angry to make any more phone calls, well, even his small peace offering of burgers, cheese, fries and milkshake weren't even going to scratch the surface of her accepting his apology.

"Right, well, into the lion's den I go. Wish me luck." Henry nodded.

"Good luck!"

When Robin reaches the top of the landing, he hesitates, not sure he's properly prepared for whatever his wife is about to do to him, however deserving he is. His second thought is then to his young son who was in such a state at summer camp he needed to be retrieved. Robin approached his son's bedroom door, checking to see if he was still asleep or if he was waking up because the hunger pains finally started to hit. Roland was still sound asleep, the covers kicked off his body. Little kids have no spatial awareness and thank goodness his son didn't really have the need to climb into mommy and daddy's bed too frequently. He pulled the bedroom door shut. It was now or never. He took a few steadying breaths and made his way down the hall towards the room he shared with his wife.

* * *

A knock sounded at their bedroom door. Robin. She was downright furious with him, but she was also exhausted. She'd really been through the ringer today. She'd never felt so panicky before in her life and she was mad he made her feel that way. Her husband who promised to love and cherish her til death do they part. She looked up from where she was perched on the bed, clad in only a thin cotton shirt and underwear. Her glasses were perched on the tip of her nose as she read through the treatment she was working on for what she hoped would be a new project.

"Come in," she called out. Robin sheepishly stepped into the bedroom, shutting the door behind him. He moved around, discarding clothes, brushing his teeth, and washing up a little bit before bed. Good. He was afraid of her, as he should be, she thought to herself. After about twenty minutes of him bustling around their ensuite and her pretending she was still writing mark – ups on her paper, he finally approached their bed and after a few moments' pause, he climbed in and rolled over to face her. She looked straight on. His fingers grasp her upper arm, massaging them and dotting feather light touches here and there on her arm, her neck, her shoulders. She still sat rigid. She wrenched her arm from his grasp, because God, his fingers _were_ magic, easing the tension and sending her zinging in unmentionable places and she wasn't sure it was safe for those activities just yet. She tossed her papers down, tearing her glasses of her face and setting those on the night stand. "What the hell happened today, Robin?" Robin's head dropped.

"I know love, I know."

"Do you? Do you have any idea what I've been through today while you've been gallivanting around, do only God knows what because you didn't even have the decency to return any of my phone calls to let me know what the hell was going on?!" She practically shouted.

"Hey come on, keep it down a little, try not to scare the boys." If looks could kill, the expression that just passed on her face would certainly have made him a dead man ten times over. He held up his hands in ready acceptance of whatever she was about to say to him. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry for what you went through today, and there's nothing I can do about that. Why don't you tell me what happened? Let me have it," he encouraged. The sardonic laugh that fell from her lips at his request did nothing to ease the knot that was forming in his stomach. He was afraid. She stood from the bed and began pacing.

"It was my first day back at work in two weeks. Two weeks!" she held up to fingers to emphasize her point. "It was almost like the first day at work in which I had to prove myself that I am more than capable of pursuing a career and being a mom and not neglect either of those duties. I wanted to drive myself to work, I like my autonomy, I know this, you know this, _everyone_ knows this! But you lured me into a false sense of security that should I need anything, anything at all, all I would have to do is call you and just like that you would be there. But you weren't. You weren't there for me or Roland."

"Hey!" Robin started to interrupt before Regina held up a hand to silence him.

"No, you weren't. I'm stating facts, I'm not mudslinging. Ashley Boyd said she tried calling you three times before she tried calling me. I don't know where you were or what you were doing, but when she said she couldn't get in contact with you about your son, I got angry because what if I needed you? What if something had gone wrong at work and I had no way of getting in contact with you? That big speech you made about how you were so upset because I didn't let you take me to the hospital when I fell and how I essentially bullied you into not following your gut instinct all seemed bluster to me. You promised if I needed anything at all you would be right there and you weren't. You broke your promise. Your son needed you. I needed you and you weren't there." She sighed, wiping the backs of her hands against her eyes, trying to stifle the tears threatening to fall. Robin reached for her, but she stepped away from him. "Don't, I'm not finished." Robin nodded for her to continue. "I had to go into Mr. Gold's office and ask him to let me leave work four hours into the day after I just returned to work. Do you know how hard that was? To basically admit I couldn't parent and work at the same time? He was going to give me a new project for when the _Forbidden Fruit_ series ends. He wanted me to start prep work on it, but then told me he wasn't sure I was up to the task. _Never_ has he _ever_ thought I wasn't up for a task. It pains him to have to try and spread projects around when he knows I can do the work. That nearly killed me."

"Thank goodness Mal was there to rescue me from Gold and run me over to the community center to retrieve Roland. Oh that little boy. Seeing his tears nearly broke my heart. His friend Thomas was home sick and suddenly he really wished he could be with you and Henry. It was heartbreaking to explain to him that Henry and his daddy were on a secret mission, without him, and even I couldn't get in contact. But you know what? We made the best of it. Mal and I picked up some ice cream to go with our lunch and we spent my lunch hour trying to cheer him up. After lunch and a few rounds of Memory and Go Fish, Mal had to bribe him with Jurassic Park. Strangely he knew a lot of the dialogue," a watery chuckle tumbled out of her mouth along with a smile that almost reached her eyes. Finally, she could breathe. She took a deep inhale and slowly exhaled. She turned to look at her husband, her hands sliding down to her sides, cocking her head to the side, almost pleading with him to not say anything stupid. He was in the wrong. She may have hurt his feelings with her harsh words, but they were valid. Her husband stepped to her, enveloping her in his arms. She leaned in, sobs racking her body and he rubbed soothing circles on her back. After a few minutes, he pulled back to look at her face. She wiped at her tears and he grasped her hand to lead her to their bed. Robin climbed in first, then held his hand out to pull Regina in close to him.

"I'm sorry for today, I really am," he started, rubbing her arms, "I wasn't thinking. I was so excited to spend time with the boys and Roland not wanting to come along threw a monkey wrench in my plans. Henry and I did something spontaneous, but he had so much fun. I couldn't've asked for a better experience. I hope you can forgive me." Regina nuzzled in closer to his side, as much as she could given her pregnant state. She rubbed his chest and tilted her face to his, looking into his eyes for depth of sincerity.

"You and Henry had a good day?" She croaked out.

"The best day, mom." Henry stood in the doorway of their bedroom. Robin and Regina both sat up with a start.

"Henry," she motioned for her son to come join them on the bed. "How much of that did you hear?"

"Doesn't matter, please don't be mad at Robin."

"Oh honey," she gasps out as Henry leans into her chest, wrapping his arms around him. Startled at first, but then she is the one rubbing comforting circles on his back.

"I'm not mad, just upset with how things were handled today. And as adults, it's important that we get out our concerns so they don't fester in our hearts and eat us up inside."

"So you're not mad at Robin? I don't want you to be mad at him. It really was an awesome day. I've never had so much fun." Regina can't help the smile that stretches across her lips.

"Well, if Robin gave you the best day ever, I can't possibly be mad at him for that, can I?" She's mad, she truly is mad, but it seems Manly Man Day was a success and so her feelings are a bit mixed. Robin leans in to peck a kiss onto her lips and rests his hand on Henry's head.

"Henry, it's okay for your mom to be upset with me. I should've planned today a little better and I most definitely should've thought to check in with your mom sooner. And sometimes it helps us feel better if we give into our emotions. If she needs to be mad at me for a little while, then she can be mad at me for a little while. What's important is that once she's done being mad we can talk it out so that mad at me for a little while doesn't turn into mad at me for the rest of her life." Regina chuckles and pulls Robin's face to hers for another kiss. Henry looks between the two of them.

"So you guys are alright? I could hear mom fussing," Henry asked once more.

"Mommy?" A tiny sleepy voice called from their doorway. Regina shoved Henry and Robin off of her and outstretched her arms towards the sleepy five – year old rubbing his eyes.

"Oh sweetheart, did we wake you?" Roland shook his head, as he continued rubbing his eyes and walking towards the bed. "Do you wanna come up here with us?" Roland shook his head again. "Mommy, I'm hungry."

"Well, I would imagine so, you missed dinner." She told him as she pulled him into her lap on the bed. He settled against her side and his eyes fluttered against her chest. Henry repositioned himself on her other side and Robin simply looked on. "Would you like it if Daddy made you a little snack?" Roland nodded his head against her chest. "Okay, how about a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?" Roland nodded his again once more. Regina looked to her husband.

"Alright, you heard the little guy, peanut butter and jelly. And would you mind heating up my burger?"

"Feeling hungry now?"

"Well, I think I was hungry before, I was too stressed to eat more than what I did," Regina responded, sadness creeping into the edge of her voice. Robin reached out to caress her cheek.

"Oh love, please believe me when I say I am _so_ so sorry. I'll make it up to you," then he turned his head towards Henry, "Hey, Henry you wanna help make snacks in bed?"

"Snacks in bed? Does mom approve?"

"Hmm, just this once. And only if you grab a sheet from the laundry closet. I don't want crumbs in my bed." Henry nodded and promptly hopped off the bed to join Robin.

Regina held Roland tighter to her chest, rubbed comforting strokes across his back and nuzzled her face into his curls. More tears streamed down her face as she rocked him side to side. Memories of his little tear streaked face when she arrived to pick him from day camp earlier that day evoked strange stirrings inside. Sure, she could blame her hormones on what seems to be an overreaction, but in reality, it is fear. The same heart – wrenching fear she felt when Daniel took too long to arrive at the hospital when she was having a miscarriage, when she needed him the most. She knew then something was wrong and while she didn't have that exact same feeling this time, that seemingly irrational fear still got the better of her. Even though Regina seemingly kept herself together while picking up Roland from camp, the dam all but broke as soon as she entered the house. Mal, not far behind, ushered her friend up the steps into the foyer and pushed her past the dining room into the kitchen, shoving her into a chair, glaring at her, daring her to move. All Regina could do was nod her head while Mal disappeared, presumably to settle Roland, with what she later discovered was a promise to let him watch Jurassic Park if he stayed quiet and at his lunch. Mal returned and Regina immediately collapsed in her arms. She's not sure how long she stayed crying in Mal's arms, but their moment was interrupted by the ringing of Mal's phone. It was Robin returning her call. Mal merely scoffed and set the phone back down. Regina's phone then rang, but Mal stopped Regina from reaching for it, telling her now was not the time. Regina nodded her head and tried her best to dry her tears. Enough of that for now. She straightened herself, wiping her eyes with a napkin from the table and silently thanked her friend. They then joined Roland in the den for a little while, coloring and playing with his Legos, letting him win Go Fish and Memory all while Jurassic Park played in the background. Soon, it was time for Mal to return to work. She'd already been gone for two hours and both Regina and Mal were surprised Mr. Gold hadn't sent out the Gestapo to return her to work. Regina felt her eyes drifting and could tell Roland was getting a little restless. Regina saw Mal out and returned to the little boy, pulling them both onto the sofa for an afternoon nap. Robin would be home soon and she required as much energy as possible to properly deal with everything.

* * *

Ten minutes later found Robin and Henry carrying up TV dinner trays to the master bedroom. Robin kicked the bedroom door open with his foot so they could pass through unencumbered. Robin set his tray down on the dresser so he could arrange the sheet Regina requested on the bed. He smiled as his wife as she woke Roland so he could sit up and eat his dinner. Henry brought the tray he was carrying over to his mother so she too could eat. After a little while, Regina and Roland finished their food while Henry and Robin recounted their day, but skipping the part about shooting arrows and how they were out of cell phone range. It would be their little secret.

Roland's little eyes started drifting closed again and Robin reached for him, causing the little eyes to flutter open.

"Can I stay here tonight, with you?" He muttered in his half – sleep state.

"Gee bud, I don't know." Robin sighed. Roland was a wild sleeper and while that was okay to deal with for Regina, because at one point in her life she too had a five year old Henry to contend with, he was worried Roland might accidentally kick Regina's pregnant belly.

"Of course you can," Regina smiled.

"Regina, I'm worried he might accidentally kick you." Regina pulled Roland closer to her, smoothing down his curls once more.

"Oh, you wouldn't do that, would you, my sweet little knight. You'll be brave and protect Squishy, right?" Roland nodded his head. "See? He'll be mindful."

"Alright, but daddy will feel better if you slept on my side of the bed, okay?" Roland pouted, but Robin was unphased.

"Can I sleep in here too?" Henry asked, feeling a little left out. Regina looked to her husband. There was barely enough room on the bed given her large belly, but Roland was tiny.

"Tell you what, why don't we grab your sleeping bags and you boys can sleep on the floor. Does that sound like a fair compromise?" Henry and Roland nodded their heads. As soon as Robin left the room, Henry climbed in the bed on the other side of his mom, resting his head atop her belly.

"What are you doing son?" She asked as she carded her fingers through his hair, massaging his scalp as she did so.

"Giving Squishy a hug. She's probably feeling left out." Regina chuckled.

"Oh that's sweet. Here, give me your hand. I think she likes your hug, she's kicking." Both Henry and Roland sat up and she took both their hands in hers and moved them around to the side where she could feel the baby stretching and moving inside. Twin smiles stretched across their faces and after a few moments they both leaned back down to snuggle into Regina's side.

Ten minutes later Robin returned baring two pillows, two set of sleeping bags and the scene of his wife and their two sons sound asleep on the bed. Well, that wasn't the plan. He couldn't bring himself to move the boys and his wife probably wouldn't want him to move them anyway. He'll let them have this moment. So, instead he made himself a pallet on the floor beside their bed using the two sleeping bags and pillows. He leaned over the bed to plant kisses on each of their foreheads and soft caress to his wife's swollen belly.

"I love you guys so, so very much," he whispered before settling himself in for the night.


	40. On The Move

Better late than never!

* * *

My my how time seemed to creep on for her. She could remember two weeks ago being extremely cranky that she was still pregnant. How could the baby still need more time to grow? There wasn't any more room in her tiny body for her internal organs to shift or for the baby to fit. Thanks to the threat of pre-term labor a few weeks ago, Mr. Gold took no risk in forcing Regina to take early maternity when she returned two weeks later. She only got to work for three days before her best friend Mal broached the subject while perched in one of the guest chairs in Regina's office. Regina had made herself quite comfortable, a feat in and of itself given her large belly, which she was certain at that point couldn't possibly get any larger. She hadn't remembered getting so big with Henry. All the more reason Robin and Regina started looking closer at girl names, even sharing some ideas with the boys. All three of them would cuddle around her in the evening to talk to their baby sister, trying out different names each time, seeing if the names were a good fit for their baby sister. It was the most adorable thing she saw, but would tire from quickly, shoving them off of her body because she would get hot from overcrowding. Robin would be the first one up, lowering the thermostat and turning on the ceiling fan. They didn't mind the near freezing temperatures in the summer of Maine.

Robin still had her situated on the sofa downstairs in the den. Even though she was fine going up and down the stairs, he insisted she spend the rest of her pregnancy on the main floor of the house. She was a little resentful about being made to feel like an invalid but now, however, she found she didn't mind. It was definitely a struggle for her to climb the flight of stairs up to the master bedroom when she went to take a shower or fussed around in the nursery. It was definitely easier for her to make trips back and forth to the kitchen for small meals now that she could hardly eat much food in one sitting. This particular morning found her waking to her entire brood sleeping peacefully in the sofa bed with her and Robin. She cherished moments such as these, all their bodies crammed onto the bed just because they wanted to be close. Apparently the boys' bedrooms were too far away from their parents slumbering on the sofa bed. Roland lay across her lap, his head shoved as close as possible to the bump that didn't seem to want to stop growing. Oh how she wished the bump would stop expanding. She never got this huge with Henry. Second pregnancies usually bloom bigger, sooner, or so she'd read and while her bump didn't make an immediate appearance, once it was out there it seemed to want to continue on. She'd gotten so big she could no longer fit comfortably behind the wheel of the car so if she needed something she was at the mercy of Robin, Emma or, more often than not, Mary – Margaret now that school was out for the summer.

Life continued on for the Mills – Hood family and this morning was no different. Inevitably she would shift so that Roland would roll off her body and plop right onto Robin. Then she would rock and roll her body until she could negotiate herself into a seated position. She would sit for a few minutes, regulating her breathing before she pushed herself off the sofa bed into as much of a standing position as she could before the movement startled Robin out of his sleep. He would suddenly hop out of the sofa bed, admonishing Regina for not waking him to help her out of bed. She'd give her signature eye roll as she took his hands and he would walk behind her, massaging her lower back as she waddled to the downstairs bathroom. He would help lower her to the seat and stand in watch as she relieved herself. She would muse in her head how sickeningly, disgustingly sweet, and domestic their bathroom scene would seem to outsiders. Her lips would quirk into a smile and Robin would lean forward to capture her lips into a chaste kiss. She'd wipe herself and feel just a little weird grasping for her husband's hands after having done so and he would just shake his head and help her up. They would then both wash their hands and prepare themselves for a brief family breakfast before Robin headed upstairs to prepare for his workday. Yes, this is how mornings in the Mills – Hood household would go.

"So, what's your pleasure for breakfast this morning?" Regina asked as she circled around to the kitchen island to prepare the morning's coffee for Robin.

"Oh, I don't know, Fruit Loops?" Regina turned from starting the coffee, narrowing her eyes at her husband.

"Are you asking for cereal because you don't want me to be on my feet for long periods of time?" Robin sighed out before approaching his wife, stroking up and down her arms. They leaned their foreheads into one another.

"Love, we have this conversation every morning. You need to be resting. I don't want to come home at the end of the day and listen to you whine about how you're retaining water." Regina pulled away.

"Hey, you knocked me up. I get to complain about what's going on with my body and you will happily listen."

"Yes, dear." She turned back from him and headed to the fridge.

"Now, how does fried eggs and bacon sound? Quick and easy. I'll even cook the bacon in the oven so I don't have to stand over the stove frying it." Robin sighed, nodding his head.

"Fine, fine. I'll go get the boys up and ready for summer camp."

"Hey," she called out as he turned to exit the kitchen. "Thanks for putting up with my stubbornness." Robin simply sighed in response.

Breakfast was consumed quickly, the dishes rinsed and loaded into the dishwasher all without Regina uttering one single request. All three of her boys walked by her, kissing her temple.

"Bye mom, try not to have the baby while we're gone to camp!" Roland would tell her every day and well, today was no different.

"Well, you'll just have to have that conversation with the baby. I can't control when she comes," would be Regina's response. Henry stood behind his step – brother, shaking his head before leaning forward to kiss his mother as well.

"Bye mom."

"Bye Henry, be good."

"Don't worry, I always behave."

"I know, but I still like to remind you." After both boys exited the kitchen, Robin squatted in front of Regina, his hands resting on her thighs. She leaned forward to rest her head on his forehead.

"I love you."

"Love you too."

"Call me if you feel anything, see anything, need anything. I'll be here in a heartbeat."

"Okay, now go. The sooner you leave, the sooner you can return to me." Robin hummed out in response and lifted his lips to her and she obliged him in a kiss.

"You want some help back out to the sofa?"

"No, I'm good. I'm just gonna sit here until I have to pee. I'll eventually make my way out there. I've got a date with _Stranger Things_ on Netflix."

"Hey! You aren't supposed to be watching that without me!"

"Casualty of having a pregnant wife resting at home."

"Thought you were still working on the book."

"Nope, Mal threatened to accept the last revision the author sent if I didn't hurry up and sign off on everything. She came earlier this week and picked up the packet. I was sad to see it go. And now that I'm going to be out on maternity leave, Gold won't assign me any new accounts and gave Sydney control of my current accounts so I can concentrate on bonding with the baby. Can you believe that?"

"Ha ha, actually, yeah. Mr. Gold's alright. He really does value family."

"Ha! Could've fooled me! He bosses me around like there's no tomorrow."

"Puh – lease! You've got him wrapped around your finger and you know it. In fact, I think he's rather fatherly towards you."

"I suppose. Now, go!" Robin lifted himself to his feet and with one last kiss to her forehead and then her lips, he departed the kitchen.

* * *

It was around nine forty – five in the morning by the time Regina needed to pee again and worked her way out to the sofa. Robin and the boys folded the sofa back up and replaced the pillows and the blankets neatly on the backside. She sighed. The fan was still turning and gave a slight chill in the air. She retrieved one of the throws and wrapped it around her body. The television was already on thanks to the boys watching cartoons. Just as she settled into the sofa to queue up episode three of _Stranger Things_ , the door bell rang. Her head lolled backwards so it rested momentarily on the back of the sofa. The doorbell rang again and as she made her way to get off the sofa to answer the door, the unmistakable sound of keys jingling and being placed in the lock and the sound of the door opening and shutting startled her just a bit.

"Hello? Who's there? My husband works for the sheriff's department so this won't turn out well for you!" She shouted out, trying to maneuver herself into a hiding position. After a few tense moments, the sound of footsteps echoed through the foyer and a familiar voice sounded.

"Really, Regina?"

"Emma! What are you doing here?! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"Sorry, sorry," Emma stated while holding up her hands as much as she could holding plastic bags. Regina walked her way back to the sofa, and with some effort, sat herself down. Emma walked further into the den, sitting down in the recliner next to the sofa. "I decided to drop by for a few hours before my shift."

"Or…Robin asked you to check in on me?" Regina supplied with a roll of her eyes.

"The world may never know." Emma responded with a cheeky grin.

"Right. Whatcha got there?"

"Oh, maybe a movie and some popcorn? Robin says you've been watching _Stranger Things_ without him."

"So you thought you'd bring over a movie to placate my whiny husband?"

"Dude, you have _no_ idea how whiny he is at work!"

"Hmmph, I can only imagine."

"And I hear you've got a really good one! So, you wanna eat popcorn now or later?"

"Maybe later, I just finished breakfast not too long. Baby girl has taken up all the space in my belly."

"Baby girl? No luck with names? If not I have a few suggestions." Regina rolled her eyes.

"Well, we're hoping it's a girl. We already have three boys. And we are not naming her Emma."

"Not even for a middle name?"

"Not even for a middle name," Regina laughed as Emma's lips contorted into a pout and she made her way back into the den to situate herself. Emma crossed to the television and queued the movie before coming to sit beside Regina, remote in hand. She plopped her bag of goodies on the coffee table as she took off her shoes and propped her feet on the table.

"Gross, I hope you know you're cleaning that off before you leave," Regina nodded to Emma's socked feet. Emma gave a mock salute. "Alright, what crazy movie do you have us watching?"

"Oh, it's a good one. Finding Dory."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously! All the feels! All. The. Feels. Oh, and here, I brought tissues," Emma said, leaning forward to retrieve said tissue from her bag on the coffee table. Regina took the proffered tissues and settled into the sofa, emotionally preparing herself for the movie. Regina smirked to herself as the opening scene began.

"What's so funny? This part is sad!"

"I can see that, but I can't help but think you're menstruating for us to be watching a sappy kid's film."

"So what if I am?"

"Does that mean you also brought donuts? Chocolate or bear claw?"

"Well, I'll have you know, I did bring those items, even if my period isn't supposed to arrive until next week, so there!" Emma responded, sticking out her tongue.

"Real mature."

"Shhhh! Watch the movie lady." Regina chuckled some more and turned her attention to the movie. It was going to be a long morning and she could feel the dredges of her mid – morning nap creeping upon her and she couldn't decide if she was grateful to fall asleep watching a film Emma swore would make her an emotional mess or miss spending quality time with a woman she was glad to have in her life.

She's not sure when it happened, but it had. Regina had fallen asleep while watching _Finding Dory_ with Emma Swan. Now, the baby was stretching her insides and her stomach was rumbling with pangs of hunger. She looked over at Emma who was actually crying as the credits scrolled across the screen.

"Emma? Are you crying?" Emma turned to look at Regina.

"What? No? Don't be silly! I'm not crying, you're crying!"

"I take it back. I don't think you're PMsing, I think you might be pregnant. Your hormones are so out of whack, even I'm not crying." Emma immediately straightened, sniffling.

"I am _not_ pregnant. The movie just reminds me a little of being in the foster system and not being able to find my family. And wondering if they ever even wanted me." Regina sobered, her grin falling from her face. She reached out towards Emma, who graciously sank into Regina's embrace.

"I'm sorry Emma, I didn't meant to come off as insensitive. You don't need to look for your family anymore. You've got one here with me and Robin, Henry, Robin, Mary – Margaret, David and I think maybe even that Killian fellow. You don't need to worry about finding them anymore," she spoke to the blond woman, rubbing circles on her back. After a few more moments, Emma withdrew, wiping at her face.

"Silly me, I'm a mess. I don't think I've ever been this emotional while PMsing." Regina cocked her head at Emma, once more silently indicating something more was going on than just simple PMsing. " _Anyway_ , isn't that one supposed to be out here now?" Emma changed the subject, rubbing Regina's ever expanding belly. Regina smacked her hands and made moves to leave the sofa to head for the kitchen.

"Yes," she sighed out with an annoyed huff. "She was supposed to make her grand entrance three days ago. Sometimes I wonder if it would've been so bad to have her early. We've got great modern medicine."

"Well, even with advanced modern medicine, it's better she got to cook a little longer," Emma commented, following Regina to the kitchen.

"Yes, well, now she's well – done instead of just right," Regina sighed, leaning heavily against the island in the kitchen, trying to alleviate her low back pain. Emma came to stand beside her, leaning her face close to Regina's.

"Back hurting?" Regina nodded. "Wanna back rub?" Regina turned her head, glaring at Emma, who had the sense to straighten back up. "Sorry, just trying to be helpful."

"Well, if you want to be helpful you can make me a light snack."

"Light snack? You don't want food food?"

"I would _love_ to eat a shit ton of food, but the way the baby is pushing my internal organs up my esophagus that's not really a possibility. Small frequent meals is about all I can handle at the moment."

"Oh, I hadn't realized. That stinks. Maybe I don't want to be pregnant. I love food _waaaay_ too much."

"Well, kids aren't for everyone, 'tis true, but you shouldn't base not having a child off of your inability to eat large quanitities of food in one sitting."

"Yeah yeah," Emma waved her hand dismissively. "So, you want food or…"

"Actually, what I really want is for my husband to be home and eat me for lunch." Emma's eyes went wide. "Wait, that's not what I meant. I meant I want my husband to be home and eat lunch with me."

"Sure, sure. Are you supposed to be having sex this far into the pregnancy?"

"Oh, this wouldn't be for pleasure."

"Other than conceiving a child, which you've already accomplished, pleasure is really the only other thing I know sex is for."

"True, but it can also stimulate labor…and I really, _really_ want to get this process started."

"Ewww, things I did not want to know. Let's shelve this convo for another time. Whadya want to eat?" Emma circled around the island towards the refrigerator as they hear the front door open, jangling keys hit the bowl on the hall table and heavy footsteps.

"Ladies, I'm home and I brought food!"

"Damnit. Guess that's my cue to head out. No sex. Try not to have that kid while I'm on shift, okay?" Emma requested as she leaned in to give Regina a hug.

"Well if I don't have it while you're not on shift, that means it'll be while Robin's on shift. Sorry to say, I think he takes precedence over you seeing as he helped to create the child."

"If you insist it be that way." Emma replied. Regina simply chuckled. Robin entered the kitchen, setting the take out bags on the table.

"Hey, it's my favorite momma in the world."

"Dear, I'm sure that was meant to be cute, but I'm your wife, not your mother. You knocked me up. It's a little weird to refer a woman you had sex with and got pregnant as 'momma'." Regina grinned, reaching to give her husband a hug.

"Well, when you put it that way. Hey Swan, David said you could have an extra thirty minutes when I told him I was bringing you lunch."

"Oh, thanks. I think I'll just take this to the station if it's all the same to you. Give you two some time together, alright? Apparently Regina had a different lunch for you in mind other than Granny's, so if you want to take an extra thirty minutes, we can cover."

"Thanks Swan. Seeya soon!" Emma nodded her head in acknowledgement, picked out her grilled cheese and cheese fries and headed out. Robin looked down at the woman in his arms, confusion etched on his face. "You made lunch?"

" _Not exactly_." Regina demurred, grabbing her husband's hands, swinging them in front before winding their hands against his chest. She rubbed her hands across his chest then back down the sides of his arms, repeating the motions a few times before realization dawned Robin's features.

"What? Oh, ohhhh, Regina no."

"Robin, yes."

"Regina, no! We can't!"

"But why not?" She whined out.

"Because, you could go into labor."

"Well, that's kinda the point." She huffed out, backing him against the kitchen door, standing on her tip toes to kiss him. Robin held up his arms to fend off his wife. He swung her arms down, pinning them against her sides. She growled. "Damnit Robin!"

"Regina, I'm sorry."

"No you're not," she huffed again, this time tears spilling over her eyes. "I'm so tired of being pregnant. I'm three days over due, I haven't even started dilating yet! I need to do something to get this party started. I've tried walking, dancing, yoga – nothing is helping. So the only other thing is for you to have sex with me. It's the least you can do."

"But is that all you want me for? To start the labor process?"

"Yes," she hissed out. Then she properly looked at him. "Do, do you not want to have sex with me? Because I'm pregnant? A big, fat pulsating blob of grossness?"

"What? Why would you think that?! That's not remotely even close to how I feel about you!" Robin crossed to Regina, pulling her close in his arms, peppering kisses across her cheeks, ghosting his lips across hers. She pulled back a little, staring into his eyes. Her eyes seemingly a few shades darker. "Regina." Robin commanded. She was no longer listening as she dove in for another kiss, more forceful. Who was he kidding? She needed reassurance. He let her walk him back against the kitchen door as her hands dove for the buckle on his pants. Working the buckle apart, she unzippered his pants, shoving them down his legs. He grasped the back of her neck, pulling her up on her toes to taste the sweetness of her lips. Robin then dropped his hands down to grasp the hem of her shirt, bringing it over her head. She shivered, her nipples erect at the breeze. "No bra?" Regina bit her lip in a grin before Robin captured her lips in between his teeth, cupping her breasts. She gasped into his mouth.

"Fuck," and she drew back from him.

"Sorry, are they sensitive?" She nodded. "Alright, why don't we go to the sofa?" She quirked her head. "If you really want to do this, don't question me."

"But why the sofa?"

"I figure it would be easier if we were seated, you can be on top and we'll be well – supported." She reluctantly nodded her head and allowed him to pull her towards the den, their lunch long forgotten on the table.

Robin rounded the sofa, pulling Regina behind him. He briefly dropped her hand while he set about moving around the blankets and pillows she had strategically placed on the sofa for her comfort. She looked on as he seated himself and reached out to take her hands. He pulled her until her breasts were eye – level. He resumed rubbing his hands about and down her sides while she grasped onto his shoulders. Her vagina was already slicking just from their brief make – out session. Robin ever so gently tugged on a nipple while leaning forward to grasp the other one in his mouth. Her reaction was instantaneous, back arching, hips thrusting. Robin had to reach out a hand behind her back to support her unsteady movements. He lavished her breasts 'til they were slicked with his spit, letting the last one slip from his mouth with a pop. He widened his legs so she could step between them. She leaned her head down, meeting him in a kiss. After a few heated kisses, she pulled back. Robin was grinning from ear to ear.

"How's that?"

"Good, very good," she murmured, fingernails scratching his scalp lightly as she rubbed through his hair. He was due for a haircut soon. "but," she paused, "I think you're wearing too many clothes and we are on quite the time crunch."

"Right, down to business then?"

"It's not my fault you've found excuses for engaging me at bed time. We could've taken our time then, but now time is of the essence, I need this baby out of me and you need to return to work. So, let's get to it, shall we?" Robin nods his head, sitting back a bit to pull off his shirt and work down his pants.

"At least let me do the honors of this?" He asked as he reached forward to pull down her shorts, taking her panties with her. She stepped out of the garments once they reached her feet. She returned to her position of standing in between his legs while he licked his hand and reached forward to rub against her. She moaned, leaning heavy against his shoulders. Her breathing quickened in time with the rubbing of his fingers, back and forth through her folds. Her breath hitched and her moans increased in volume, hissing between her teeth. She had to bite down on her lip, her eyes closed in concentration. She really wanted to fuck him, bad. But he liked to work her up and even though he was enjoying this, pleasing her, he wasn't quite ready.

"Robinnn," she whined, she was close and she wanted him, not his fingers. She slapped away his hand. "I am so close."

"I know love, so why are you stopping me?"

"Not like this, it won't work unless you penetrate me."

"I thought having on orgasm, the contractions that accompany it would do the trick." She shook her head.

"Mmm – mmm. That may or may not work, but penetration definitely will. Semen can help soften the cervix." Robin nodded his head in understanding.

"Well then, let's get on with the show," he responded, gripping himself in hand, rubbing and pulling and tugging, pausing at the tip to spread pre – cum for lubrication. As Regina watched, her hand drifted down to give herself a little bit of stimulation. She was going to get this show on the road come hell or high water. Robin looked at her pleasure herself and it significantly helped on his end of things. Once he was on the cusp of exploding, reached out to grasp her hand, guiding her onto his lap. She straddled him, sinking down top, taking him all the way in. "Are you okay? Is this alright?" She hummed out with a nod, grabbing around his neck as she began moving on top of him. He thrusted a few times, but mostly let her take all she needed. He peppered kisses on her neck, behind her ear from where she rested on his shoulder. She was tense, thoroughly concentrating on getting the job done. She began huffing, her movements erratic and soft moans escaped her lips. He could feel her vaginal walls contracting around him, gripping him like a vice and he pulled her back so he could spur her on. She sat fully up, leaning away from him, changing the angle, resting her hands on his knees.

"Fuuuuck," she moaned out. Suddenly she stopped. "Damnit."

"Regina? What? You were almost there."

"I know," she gasped out at she tried to steady herself. "I can't in this position. It's straining my back. Can we try something else?" He nodded, easing himself out of her as she disengaged.

"Okay, what do you want to try?"

"Maybe spooning? I can put the boppy underneath my belly for support? And you can do all the work. Win – win for me!" Robin rolled his eyes, chuckling at his wife. She was too adorable for words.

"Alright," he said, kissing the side of her neck as she pulled him in the direction of their bedroom up the stairs.

"And maybe more nipple stimulation, that's supposed to really get things going."

"Wha? Well if nipple stimulation is the key, why didn't you let me finish doing that?"

"Well, they're sensitive and I'm really horny. I just want a good fuck right now, but you're being too gentle with me. It was hard to convince you to have sex with me."

"Right." They arrived at their bedroom. Regina grabbed the boppy and positioned herself on her side. She craned her neck to see Robin just standing there.

"Well? What are you waiting for?"

"This is so, so…"

"So what?"

"So awkward."

"My dear husband, if you don't get over here and fuck me proper one last time before your child ruins my vagina and our sex life for the next two years I swear to God I will make your life a living hell," she stated eerily calmly for a woman who was sexually frustrated and cranky from being pregnant. Robin threw his hands up in defeat and climbed in behind his wife. "Good," she nodded her head as she lifted her thigh a little bit so Robin could enter her from behind. She hissed out as he slowly eased himself in. He paused for a moment, moving her hair to the side so he could kiss her neck and shoulder and he could feel her shiver under his touch.

"Are you doing alright?" He whispered into her ear as he slowly began thrusting.

"Mmmm, touch my breasts," she commanded him as she dragged his hand across her chest, allowing him to cusp her right breast. She worked his hand, making sure he pinched her nipples. It was all so mechanical to him. He hadn't had to do any of this for Lydia and he found it quite awkward. It didn't take long for her to start responding, her ass meeting his thrusts. He had to let go of her breasts in order to steady her hips. Her gasping moans turned into short pants and then a strained cry, her entire body tensing, her vaginal walls gripping his penis as she came apart around him, liquid gushing around his cock.

"Regina, please tell me that wasn't your water breaking." She shook her head no. "Good. Are you alright?"

"God yes! Keep going, don't you dare fucking stop," she commanded as she reached around to grab his hand once more, this time directing it down to stimulate her clitoris.

"But you just came, really hard."

"I know, but you haven't come yet and I really _really_ have needed this for a few days now." She cried out, rubbing their joined hands erratically against her clit. Robin pressed himself closer to her back and continued thrusting until he too stiffened before emptying himself inside her.

"Gods that was, that was," he managed on strangled breaths.

"I know, I know," she responded, her voice scratchy from screaming out. They lay together, spooned and sated for a few moments while Robin softened inside her. He peppered kisses up and down the back of her neck, giving her a squeeze on her raised hip, stroking her arms and just touching her. He reached around to cup the curve of her belly where he could feel the baby moving.

"Wow, she's moving around in there."

"Well, we did just give her living quarters a little jolt," she responded, rolling onto her back and then her other side so she could face Robin. She reached out to stroke his beard. "Thank you for this."

"Well I hope it works. I hate seeing you miserable. And I'm sorry I did this to you."

"Hey, it's not so bad. Just think, within the next twenty – four hours we could be meeting our little girl."

"And what if this doesn't work?"

"Well, it was certainly fun trying so I'm not opposed to trying again if necessary."

"Hmm, this was pretty hot," he whispered, capturing her lips in a kiss. They traded kisses for a few more moments before she braced her hands on his chest. "What? It didn't work that fast, did it?" She chuckled, leaning her forehead to touch his.

"No, I'm feeling rather sticky. You have to head back to the office and I need some help cleaning up, if you get my drift." Robin nodded his head in understanding, pecked a kiss to her forehead and headed for the ensuite to retrieve a wet washcloth. She could hear the water running and it was a few minutes before he returned.

"Here we go," he sang out as he approached his wife, propping her legs open and cleaning his seed from between her legs.

"Are you practicing for when the baby gets here?"

"Maybe."

"Well that's just creepy."

"Maybe, but you're all clean now!"

"Uh – huh, thanks. What time is it?"

"It's uh, well damn, it's past time for me to go. Are alright if I scoot on out?"

"Hmm, yeah. Don't forget to pick up the kids from Mary – Margaret's on the way home, okay?"

"Don't worry, I won't. Are you hungry now? Do you want me to bring your lunch up?"

"No, I'll see you out and camp back out on the sofa. This little sexcapade will not distract me from my mission to binge watch _Stranger Things_. And don't even think of sending Emma back over here tomorrow to deter my from my mission." She admonished her husband as she climbed out of bed and headed to the dresser to pull on a fresh pair of shorts and t – shirt. She turned to look at him. "This baby is going to turn our lives upside down for the next few months and I'm going to take every opportunity I have before she gets here to gorge myself, okay?"

"Alright, alright, you've made your point. Now come on, see your husband off to work like a good little housewife."

* * *

Drop a review!


	41. Here We Go Again

Hey guys! It's taken me a while to get this hammered out. Enjoy and please R&R!

* * *

She wakes with a startled gasp, but dare not make a move in fear of her slumbering husband. He had to work a little extra after coming home earlier in the day to bring her lunch, among other things. Other things including activities she thought were sure to induce labor naturally. All day after he left she was giddy with the excitement that soon her labor would start. However, by the time Mary – Margaret had dropped off the boys later that evening she was in a considerably worse mood. She ordered them pizza and let the boys vegetate on the sofa before sending them to bed early. They protested that she was actually sending them to their rooms instead of allowing them to fold out the sofa, but a few well – aimed glares let them know now was not a good time to be on their mother's bad side.

She had been irritable and cranky and she was tired and Robin still wasn't home. She phoned him earlier and it went to voicemail after a few rings. She was so annoyed that she hung up without even leaving a message, instead resorting to a string of text messages calling him everything but the Son of God. After about the tenth message Emma rang to tell her Robin was out answering a call and couldn't respond, so unless she was in labor she needed to let Robin finish the call so he could get home to her. Regina huffed out an annoyed _fine_ into the phone and brusquely hung up. About thirty minutes later Robin rang but she was too pissed off to answer the phone call. He left her voicemail apologizing for not being able to pick up the phone and that he would bring her a milkshake in apologies. He would be home soon, he promised. Regina was too exhausted, both emotionally and physically to stay angry with him and to try and stay awake to wait on him. Surely he would understand.

Asleep is how he found his wife once he arrived home. He entered their mansion on Mifflin Street confused by the eerie quietness. He thought for sure he'd find his wife and sons huddled on the fold out sofa, the soft glow of the television illuminating their peaceful faces as they slumbered because they'd fallen asleep waiting on him. He sets her promised milkshake on the side table and leans over to brush a kiss over her forehead, cupping her cheek as he stares at her peaceful state. Peaceful that is, until she murmurs in her sleep, eyes snatching open, her heart hammering in her chest as she sits up abruptly.

"Hey, hey, hey, you're alright, you're okay. It's just me. Sorry to have woken you."

"Robin?" She asks, voice scratchy with sleep.

"Yeah, it's me love. I brought you that milkshake I promised." She shakes her head, willing sleep to leave her body.

"Oh, how sweet."

"Do you want it?"

"Hmmm, maybe a few sips and you can have the rest."

"Are you feeling okay?" He asks as she winces a bit, leaning to grasp the Styrofoam cup.

"Yeah, just a little achy. Come, sit." She offers a space next to her on the sofa bed while she takes a few sucks through the large bore straw made for extra thick milkshakes. He sits and maneuvers himself so he can massage her shoulders, eventually working his way to the base of her back. She sets the cup back down and leans forward, her belly heavy between her legs to help alleviate the pressure in her back. "My God that feels so amazing, you have no idea." She hums out. A soft chuckle escapes his lips.

"I can only imagine. What did the doctor say at the appointment? Any progress?" Regina had appointments every other day now, checking to see if she's started dilating. Sometimes Robin could take her, but most of the time it was Emma.

"Mmm, still at two centimeters. If I don't start progressing soon they'll either strip my membranes or induce."

"Strip your membranes? That doesn't sound fun at all."

"Mmm," she sighed out, eyes closing, relaxing into her husband's ministrations once more. "No, it doesn't sound the least bit fun to me either."

"Sorry our love making session didn't make things happen for you," he commented with a peck to her cheek as he finished. She grasped his cheek in return, pecking a kiss to his lips.

"That's alright, we had fun doing that, and well, who's stopping us from a repeat performance?" She stated calmly, biting her lower lip.

Robin was tired, so exhausted, covering extra shifts so he could take off a little more time when the baby arrived. It was an arrangement he made with David, Emma and Graham and he certainly didn't want Regina to know. She'd kill him. Perhaps she'd settle for simple nipple stimulation. After she'd mentioned it was a good way to stimulate labor, he did a little research of his own and decided she indeed tricked him into fucking her because nipple stimulation was the best method.

"Alright, how about you just lay back down here, I'll get the boppy?" He asked as he moved to stand up. She halted his movements, grasping his hand.

"No, we've got pillows, I can just move them here. We'll be quick. Your massage kinda jump started things down there," she sighs out with a sly grin. Robin simply nods his head, returning the grin before diving in with a kiss.

He leans over her, trading kisses until she starts with her hands, pulling at his shirt, urging him to take it off as she dips her hands under the hem, rubbing his sides and working her way up to his chest. He hums against her lips, breaking their kisses to remove his shirt and his pants. If she's already wet and ready then perhaps he could get in a few hours of sleep before they have to be back up with their morning routine of readying the boys for camp and breakfast and him setting off to work.

He stands before her and she just simply gazes at the fine specimen of a man that is her husband and she can't help the devious grin that spreads across her lips. Her libido seems to triple and suddenly her panties feel as if they are soaked. Had she just cum simply by staring at him?

"Do you want to try the spooning position again?" Robin interrupted her thoughts.

"Oh, uh yeah, that worked well, I think." He nodded his head.

"Good, welp, let's get to it, shall we?" He asked as he made to climb over her. She hesitated a moment, waiting for him to get comfortable before reaching for her. She stiffened. "Regina, something wrong?" She huffed out a breath before craning her neck to look at him.

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what, love?" He asked, pecking her forehead that glistened with sweat from the heat of their makeout session.

"I'm sorry this is such a chore for you," she huffed out, her face scowling. Her clit was throbbing and gods she was desperate for release but she wanted to make sure she as well as Robin were sexually sated. Who knew how long it would be before they could have sex again?

"Regina? What?" Robin scoffed as he laid back on his back. She turned over onto her back and tried to stifle the tears that were falling freely from her face. "Gods woman, this isn't a chore for me. I want to help you. I want to meet our child just as bad as you do and if this is what it takes, trust me," he stated, motioning to his soldier that was standing at attention between his legs, "I am more than prepared to get the job done."

"I know, but it seems the only way I can get you to touch me is if I tell you it will help start labor. Do you even want me anymore?" Robin drags a hand down his face, turning his head to face hers. Grabbing onto her hand, he pecks kisses over it before bringing it down to his penis.

"Does this feel like I don't want you anymore?" He asks. She lets out a frustrated giggle. "Because, I assure you love, I still find you incredibly desirable. I love your for more than just your looks, you know. You have the biggest heart, you're incredibly intelligent. You're bold, you know what you want and you're not afraid to go after it, case in point, convincing me to fuck you to start labor even though I'm terrified to do so." She turns her had to look at him.

"You're terrified to fuck me?"

"Yes," he nods. "I don't want to hurt you, or the baby."

"But we've had sex plenty of times during the pregnancy. You're not hurting the baby."

"I know, I know, but I can't help but feel that I might do something to hurt you – strain your back or something?" She chuckles at that, removing her hand from his grasp so she could grasp his cheek and pull him in for a kiss.

"Trust me, our child is perfectly safe in there and the only way for you to hurt me with sex is to not have sex with me at all. I want to get it all in as much as possible before we enter what I'm sure is going to be a very long dry spell. For me at least."

"For you?"

"Well, most recommendations is no sex for six weeks after birth, possibly more if I have to have a C – section. I may not even feel like sex, or feel desirable enough for sex. I could be a hormonal mess, even worse than now until everything balances back out."

"Is that what happened after you had Henry?" She shrugs her shoulders.

"I don't really remember, it was a while ago. I've, uh, always had such a high sex drive. When I was pregnant with Henry I was terrified we could lose the pregnancy if we had sex. The doctors assured us that it was perfectly fine and healthy for us to continue with a sex life while pregnant but even then I only acquiesced a few times. I didn't realize how much of a horn dog Daniel was. I just thought he was all about pleasing me and indulging my sexual needs. I wasn't selfish, no, but I definitely thought our overly active sex life was because of me."

"Well, I mean, look at you, who wouldn't want to make love to you twenty – four hours a day, seven days a week, three hundred sixty – five days a year?" She smiled.

"Well, I suppose. Anyway, I was so enamored with Henry after he was born I kinda neglected Daniel for a good three months before he convinced Mary – Margaret to stand up to me and insist Daniel and I take some much needed time together, away from Henry. He took us to the coast for the weekend at a bed and breakfast. I was a nervous wreck worried about Henry. If I had pumped enough for him, if Mary – Margaret would rock him to sleep like I did, if she read to him using silly voices. I was such a wreck and Daniel was still so patient and understanding. It took a bit of trying on his part to convince me everything was fine and that we were allowed to have that time together, just the two of us and we didn't need to feel guilty for leaving our son because the most important thing we could do for him was for us to be connected and be strong together and to just _be_ together. We were a team and we needed to be on the same page."

"And he felt the best way for that was with sex?"

Regina scoffed. "Well, I think we were both sexually frustrated. We fought. Mostly about Henry. I wanted to do things one way, Daniel another, and we couldn't talk to each other like civilized adults about it. It was just so much pent up energy and we had no way of releasing it. Daniel wanted to wait until I felt comfortable again. Unfortunately that meant relying on me to make an advance. I just thought he didn't find me attractive anymore. But that weekend away, it was exactly what we needed. Once I actually thought about everything he was saying to me, I realized he was in need of care just as much as I was. So after a few glasses of wine, because I had pumped enough, we were able to spend some much needed time together."

"Oh really?" Robin's eyes rose on his forehead.

"Sorry, is this too much?"

"No, no I think it's valuable information to know so I have an idea of what to expect, we won't be caught off guard. Maybe I'll look into booking us a weekend away. Perhaps we can get Mary – Margaret and David to come over and watch the kids for us. It'll give us something to look forward to when things seem to be getting out of control." Robin yawned. This was a draining conversation and he was no longer hard and he was incredibly exhausted.

"Oh, Robin, are you tired?" Regina asked as she stroked his cheek. "Did you have a bad shift? I'm sorry, I didn't even ask how your day was."

"No, no, don't worry, it's alright. There are other important things. Let me just grab a cup of coffee, hmm?" He leaned into her to give her a kiss as he left the bed to head to the kitchen. "Do you want anything while I'm up? When was the last time you ate?"

"Um, I had a little bite of pizza. There are leftovers if you want," she called to him from her position on the sofa. He tossed a hand up with a wave as he walked off towards the kitchen. Regina settled herself back into the pillows piled on the sofa, wincing as another dull ache made its way from her back to her stomach. She inhaled a breath, letting it out slowly, wondering if this was a sign of things to come.

"Hey babe, I heated you up some pizza too so you'll have some energy," her husband winked as he handed her his plate while sipping his coffee. She smiled a tight smile as she accepted the plate. She really wasn't hungry but he was being sweet so she couldn't really refuse.

"Thanks dear," she said as she took a bite. He smiled at her as he seated himself next her, reaching over her shoulder with his mouth, indicating he wanted a bite of her slice. She was more than happy to hold it up for him. She withdrew the pizza and sat the plate on the side table and turning herself so she faced him. She took his coffee cup and placed it next to the plate. He wiped his hands as best he could while still chewing his bite of pizza. Regina leaned forward, placing her palms on his chest so she could kiss his lips. The coffee flavored pizza taste on his lips wasn't too terrible. It didn't take him too long to deepen their kisses. He withdrew from her lips and instead began attacking her neck, nipping and sucking at her pulse points. Her panties were definitely soaked by now. He reached underneath her sleep shirt, worming his hands up towards her breasts to gently massage them.

"Whoa, what's this?" He asked, withdrawing his hands.

"Oh, well, shit. That's a bit of a dampener. Ha ha ha," she chuckled as she removed her shirt and searched for napkins to wipe at her breasts. "That would be colostrum." She calmly stated.

"What's that?" Robin asked, staring at his wife wide – eyed.

"It's a milk – like substance. It's the stuff the body produces for the baby until the real stuff starts coming in. Don't worry about it, your nipple stimulation must be working wonders." Robin looks up at her, an unreadable expression on his face. "What?" she asks nervously.

"The nipple stimulation worked? Does that mean you're in labor now? Do we need to put Operation Baby into action?"

"What? No, I'm not in labor yet. And even if I were, it would just be the beginning stages. I can labor at home for a long while before we need to make our way to the hospital. Did you not go through any of this with Lydia?" Robin sat back onto the sofa, drawing Regina in between his legs.

"Well, maybe, it's all a bit fuzzy. It wasn't happening to me. I was trying to remain calm for her. She barked out orders and I followed them."

"Well that's good to know. Now, where were we?" She sighed out, grabbing onto his hands and positioning them over her naked breasts. She leaned into him, relaxing and closing her eyes. She worked his hands over her breasts until she was satisfied he would keep up the ministrations while one of her hands wandered down between her legs to stroke her clit.

After a few moments, she began writhing, prompting Robin to blow a huff of air into the back of her hair.

"Regina, love, what are you doing?" He asked, kissing down the side of her neck.

Her eyes were closed in concentration, brows furrowed deep in thought. Small gasps erupted from her lips.

"Ah, I see. Can I help you out there?" He asked. She only moaned in response. His right hand left her breast and drifted down to join her hands that were currently working on her clit. His hand was stronger and more forceful and God it had her squirming up and up and grasping onto the back of her husband's neck as he stroked her.

"Fuuuuck!" She managed on a particularly heavy stroked. Robin chuckled, nipping her ear.

"Shhhh, the boys," he admonished. They weren't in their room with the door shut and she'd be mortified if they wandered downstairs to investigate the strange noises she was making.

"Robin, please," she begged him.

"Please what?"

"I need you to, mmmm," she huffed out.

"You need me to what?"

"I need you to get inside, one last really good fuck. No holding back. I really really _really_ want it rough."

"Do you now?"

"Mm hmm."

"Are you sure that's what you want?"

"Fuck, yes Robin. Will you just fucking fuck me already?" She rasped out in a harsh whisper. He knew his wife's moods and she was really pissed right now. She was frustrated and he wasn't making things any easier. He withdrew his hands.

"Alright, alright, no need to bite my head off. Here, sit up and get on your side." Regina sat up as requested, a bit high on adrenaline, ignoring the throbbing ache in her back and instead worried about the throbbing pain her clit was in after stimulation. Robin helped her lie on her side. "Are you comfortable?" He asked, grasping her hips. She simply nodded her head. "Okay, good, you ready?" She nodded her head once more, eyes closed in anticipation, legs clamped tight just the way he likes it. It's there, the tip of his penis, sliding in between the back of her legs. He pushes forward, searching for her entrance. She lifts her leg a little, allowing him to drag in the wetness between her folds. She lets out tiny whimpers before he finally starts pushing in. She can feel her vagina pulsing and it's quite surreal for her. Her senses are heightened and she's not sure she's ever felt this high before. Finally with one final thrust, he's snug inside, stilled.

"Oh god!" She yells out, clasping a hand over her mouth, sending a silent prayer the boys are still sleeping. She's been quite vocal during the time they've started and as much as she would like to not scar her boys, she's more interested in jump starting the labor process. Robin shushes her, pecking kisses to the back of her neck that sends shivers down her spine.

"You've got to keep quiet, okay?" She simply nods her head in response, reaches for the hand resting on the top of her hip and drags it to her breast, massaging them. He chuckles into her hair, marveling at how she's emphasizing the need for nipple stimulation but still also wanting penetration. He begins his thrusts slowly. He pulls almost all the way out before sliding back in and resting a few seconds and then pumping a few times before repeating the movements. Her head lolls forward as she sucks breaths in her mouth while trying to stay silent. He knows she wants it rough but he's afraid he'll be too rough and thinks her suggestion is more for his benefit than hers. He won't be as gentle as he wants to be and hopes what he's doing is a nice happy medium for the both of them.

So far her responses to him have been encouraging, her hips meeting his thrusts and she's long since let go of his hand and is instead moaning and biting into one of the pillows. He sniggers and then lets loose, riding her ever increasingly tightening pulses.

"Of fuuuck," she moans out as her body stiffens. It didn't take her long and he finds himself quickly approaching release. "Are you going to cum Robin?" She asks, her body curled in on itself for a better angle.

"Yes babe, stay just like that," he coaches, increasing his thrusts so much so that they become erratic and he finds himself spilling inside her. "Fuck, sorry, sorry, I didn't meant cum inside." He says, quickly withdrawing, cum dripping from his penis. Regina relaxes, slowly rolling herself over onto her back. She pats his arm.

"S'okay, don't worry about it, just go, um, go and get a washcloth and maybe some clean sheets? For when the boys come down in the morning? I'm just gonna lie here and catch my breath." Robin chuckles, and leans forward to peck a kiss on her sweaty brow.

"Alright love, you rest, I'll get us cleaned up and I'll get the sheets changed."

They say the body is the weakest during the night, at three AM. It's the most common time in which one is likely to die. It also happens to be the time she first felt pain. Not like the small stabs here and there she felt earlier in the evening. No, these were near searing, split your body in half pains and it was three AM. She'd been feeling them off and on and they made her sleep fitful. She's not sure how Robin could possibly be sleeping through all of her shifting and tossing and turning and figures he must truly be exhausted. She just doesn't have the heart to wake him. If she woke him now he would be even more exhausted for the actual birth and she couldn't do that to him. She sucked in another inhale, counting, searching her memory for the breathing exercises she learned while she was pregnant with Henry. This time around she didn't feel the need to drag either one of them to Lamaze classes and now in her near panic mode she wishes she had. He could hold her hand, rub her back and keep her focused while he breathed and she mimicked. Perhaps this portion of the labor would drag out for a while. She knows second births come quicker, but she labored for 23 hours with Henry and that was twelve years ago. Certainly her body has forgotten what it needs to do to expel something the size of a watermelon through such a small opening. Thinking through all these things almost made her forget the contraction was ending. Was it a contraction even? Perhaps it was Braxton – Hicks and she was in a slight panic for no reason. Water. She'll get up and get herself a glass of water. She'll sit in the kitchen and attempt to time out whatever was happening. Then she'll know for sure.

Light. Light danced across his face. The living room curtains had been drawn. He rolled over to find his wife's side of the sofa bed empty. Cold, meaning she'd been gone for a while.

"Regina!" He called, sleep evident in his voice. He cleared his throat as he swung his legs over the side of the sofa bed. "Regina love, where are you?"

"I'm in the kitchen, dear!" She returned his call. He stumbled his way through the dining room, wiping sleep from his eyes as he pushed the kitchen door open to reveal his wife and their two sons seated for quite the breakfast spread.

"Regina…"

"The boys helped," she quickly supplied, hoping to stave off any reprimand that was about to tumble out of his lips.

"Did they now? This is pretty impressive for an eleven and five – year old."

"But honest, we did help! Gina showed Henry how to flippeded the pancakes and I got to use the toaster and stir the scrammled eggs!"

"Yeah Robin, we promise mom didn't have to lift a finger!"

"But she did have to stand on her feet to supervise you two," Robin said with a raise of his eye brow as he took a seat.

"No, I pulled over the bar stool," she stuck out her tongue in reply, wincing a little bit. She took a peak at the stop watch she had going on her phone. Forty minutes apart and holding.

"You okay, love?" Damnit, Robin noticed.

"Oh me? I'm fine, just one of those twinges from carrying a seven pound baby around."

"Okay…" his voice trailed off, not quite ready to believe her.

"Well boys, are you almost done? I called Mary – Margaret to come pick you up, so why don't you clear your plates and finish getting ready?" Both boys shoveled the last bits of food in their mouths and did as their mother instructed.

"You called Mary – Margaret?"

"Well, you just looked so peaceful and I know you had a rough night of sleep so I decided to let you sleep in. Seems like you needed it."

"Thanks love, but you didn't have to."

"Actually, I did. Who knows when little miss will make her arrival? I need you to be well – rested. For both our sakes." Robin nodded his head in understanding.

"Alright then. I'll fold up the sofa for you, clean up the kitchen and get ready to head out to work. Am I allowed to do that?" He asked as he stood up, walked towards her and placed a kiss on her lips.

"Sure, sure. I'll just sit here, take a bit of a breather." She rubbed her belly, finding comfort in the soothing motions. It gave her something to focus on until Robin left for work and she could figure out if she was truly in labor or if this was just some cruel trick at hand.

A few moments later Robin poked his head through the kitchen door.

"Hey babe, the sofa's all made up. You sure you don't want me to help you back out there?" Regina bit her lip. The sofa would be a more comfortable place to labor if that was what was truly happening. She looked down at her belly, stilling her motions and looked back up at her husband.

"Uh, sure, since you've offered, maybe I could use a little help." He made his way over to her, holding out his hand for her to grasp. She took it eagerly, a little too much, causing him to wince.

"Are you in pain?"

"No!" she shouted quickly. "Uh, I mean," she stumbled over her words.

"It's just you're grasping rather tightly to my hand."

"Oh, um, sorry, didn't realize my own strength. I just want to make sure I have a good grip. Don't wanna fall. It's hard to keep balance when your center of gravity is a foot in front of you."

Robin simply nodded his head, pulling her up and placing a hand on her low back. Regina quickly snatched her hand from him.

"I got it now. Go on and finish getting ready, you don't wanna be late for work. Are the boys almost ready to go?"

"Well last I checked they were brushing their teeth."

"Okay good. I'll just sit out here then. Check out what else there is to watch on Netflix." Robin's mouth dropped open.

"Did you finish _Stranger Things_ without me?!"

"Uh, um. I can always watch it again? The second season will start soon and I'll need a refresher."

"Well, at least you have the decency to look sheepish about it." They had finally made their way over to the sofa and Robin helped Regina sit down and placed pillows around her and under her feet as she stretched them out onto the coffee table. "Comfortable?"

"Mmmm." Robin leaned down to capture her lips in a kiss. For some reason he didn't really want to leave her side. There was something off about her and he could have sworn he saw a grimace pass across her features.

* * *

There it was again, that tingle in her spine, breaking around her sides and across her front, threatening to open her up little by little. She pulled out her phone to check the timing; thirty – two minutes. It's been one hundred thirty – seven minutes since Robin left and forty - five minutes until Emma arrives. Emma's been showing up every day spending time with her until it was time to go to work. Regina isn't sure how Emma has been functioning getting up before ten AM everyday just to come over and watch over her. At first she found it annoying, but now she's anxious for the blonde to show up.

"Whoa, easy there baby girl," she soothes her roiling stomach. She bends over to get closer to her bulging bump. "You are a girl, aren't you?" she asks the bump, trying to distract herself from the reality that in a short amount of time she was going to give birth. "Oh my gosh, what if you're not a girl? What if you're a boy? I think your daddy and brothers might be a little sad. But they'll love you just the same. Have you enjoyed your time in there? Hmm? Are you ready to be out here in the world with us? I must admit, as much as I want you out here, I think I'll miss you being inside. I'll have to share you. Everyone will want to hold you and hug you and squeeze you tight until your head pops off." She felt a strong jab. "No, don't worry, I'll make sure that doesn't happen. Try to go easy on mommy, alright? No need to tear me open, okay? Let's keep it nice and tidy down there, alright? Momma's a little thirsty. You can hang on for a moment while I get myself something to drink, right?" Her fingers thrummed across her abdomen waiting for a response. She got none, but took that as a response all the same.

While it took her hardly any time at all to waddle into the kitchen and get herself a glass of water, the return journey had her pausing to grasp the dining room table and taking in deep inhales and releasing even bigger exhales. She'd left her phone on the sofa and now she had no way of knowing how much time had passed between the last contraction and whatever these smaller ripples of pain she was feeling now that she was up and walking around. She sighed one last time and straightened herself and made her way slowly back towards the sofa. Drawing her legs up cross – legged, she allowed her heavy belly to rest on top of the pillow she placed in her lap. Leaning to the side to check her phone, she mentally adjusted the timing to account for her momentary stops in her trek for water. A small gasp escaped her lips once she surmised most likely twenty – five minutes had passed between her contractions.

"Alright, no need to get panicky, it's just a fluke. Perhaps I miscounted," Regina spoke aloud, trying to calm her nerves. The remote wasn't too far for to stretch and she decided now would be as good of a time as any to distract herself with a mind-numbing episode of some random television show. Perhaps _Law & Order SVU_. Or would that be too violent to watch while bringing a child into the world? She clucked her tongue. Maybe _X Files_? Oh, that's right, _Netflix_ took that out of their lineup. A hasty sigh escaped her lips as she leaned her head back on the sofa, rubbing circles on her belly. Stilling her motions, she could feel it tightening under her hands and a soft moan escaped her lips. "No, no, no, not now. Can't you wait a little longer baby girl? No one's here right now. At least wait for Emma to get here."

"Did someone say they couldn't wait for Emma to get here?" Emma called out as she waltzed up the stairs and into the den. Regina's head snapped up, glancing at the phone in her hand.

"You're early," she whispered out, her eyes narrowing.

"Well, I was too excited to sleep, so I figured if I came over now, maybe we could take a mid-morning nap."

"Hmm, and why are you excited?"

"Oh, well – you know? I'm not entirely sure. I just couldn't get myself to settle and Killian practically kicked me out of bed. He decided to have a lie in and well, I was keeping him up."

"Ewww,"

"Oh my god! Not like that! What's wrong with you? Why would I tell you that?" Emma's eyes were wide with shock as she lightly tapped Regina's arm. Emma picked up the discarded remote control on the sofa and began scrolling through the title options that were displayed on the screen. "So, what's our pleasure this morning?" Silence. "Anything? Are you going to let me pick today?" Still more silence. Finally, Emma turned around to see what she could only later describe as pure horror etched on Regina's features. "Regina? Regina, what's wrong? Why are you making that face?"

"I, uh," she manage out on a whispered breath as a scream ripped through her lips.

"Oh my god, are you in labor?" Emma asked as she stood and began to pace. Regina could only nod her head. "How long have you been like this? Were you like this when Robin left? Is that why he asked if I could come over a little earlier than usual? Did you even tell him?"

"Robin sent you over early?"

"Yeah, he said something seemed a little off." Regina chuckled, her husband knew her well. Emma came to sit down by Regina.

"No, don't si – "

"What the hell Regina, this better be your glass of water you wasted." Regina cocked her head. "Right, when did this happen?"

"Literally five seconds ago."

"Well, shit. Now I need to change clothes. Do you want me to call Robin? We should head to the hospital now, right? Your water broke. Things should go a little more quickly now, right? Oh my god, when was your last contraction?"

"Hmmm," she mumbled.

"Are you having one right now?" Regina nodded her head, extending her hand for Emma to grasp. "Holy shit you're strong."

"Emma, shut up, I can't concentrate," she whined out.

"Right, okay." After a few moments, Regina's grip lessened and she eventually dropped Emma's hand. "Ok, good. So, I suppose we need to get you to the hospital. Do you want me to call Robin now and have him meet us there? Or do you want him to come here? Regina? Oh no, no, no, don't cry. Why are you crying?"

"It hurts, Emma. What if we're too late? What if I misjudged how long this will actually take? I thought I had longer. I didn't realize the contractions would start coming so close together so soon."

"Hey, it's okay, it's alright. Let's just, uh, get your things and I've got my patrol car, it won't take us too long." Regina nods as she cradles her belly, trying to ease the stress on her low back.

"My bag, grab the overnight bag," Regina yells out as Emma heads towards the door.

"Where is it?"

"It's in the hall closet."

"Okay, anything else?"

"Uh, shoes, I need my shoes."

"How about these?" Emma approaches her holding out Robin's house shoes.

"Those are Robin's."

"Well I either spend ten minutes looking for _your_ shoes, or I can put these on you and we can head to the hospital. You don't want me helping you deliver in the squad car, trust me. We can ask David or Mary – Margaret to bring you a more appropriate pair. Or I can come back after we get you situated." Regina hastily nodded her head. "Good, now let's get going."

Emma precariously balanced Regina's overnight bag, purse and pillow in one arm and assisted the heavily pregnant woman down the stairs and out to her patrol car in what seemed an eternity but was only ten minutes. Ten minutes and another contraction that had Emma wondering if her hand was broken.

"Alright there, I can't call Robin while you've got a death grip on my hand. You wanna page him in the walkie?" Regina looked up at Emma, tears leaking out the corners of her eyes.

"Really? You're gonna let me touch the walkie?" Regina couldn't help but ask with doe eyes. Henry always had a fit when Emma would take him for a ride in the patrol car but would never let him play on the walkie.

"Well, desperate times. I think he'll want to hear this from you," Emma winked. Regina laughed a little, and cleared her throat.

"Evil Queen to the Thief, over." Emma rolled her eyes at their ridiculous names for each other.

" _Regina? Is that you?"_ answered a voice.

"Yeah, it's uh, it's me."

" _What are you doing on Emma's walkie?"_ Regina grimaced. Emma snatched the walkie from Regina's hand as she gripped the door handle, biting into her pillow.

"Hey, Robin, it's me. Are you ready to be a dad?"

" _Seriously? It's time?"_

"Yep, it's time. We're on our way to the hospital, wanna meet us there?"

" _Yeah, yeah, let me just find David and call Graham."_

"Alright, and Robin?"

" _Yeah?"_

"Don't take too long, Regina's water broke about twenty minutes ago and her contractions are roughly ten to fifteen minutes apart," Emma cautioned.

" _Right, right."_

Emma hung up the walkie and reach once more for Regina's hand, a small gesture of reassurance. Regina gave it a gentle squeeze, closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. In a few short hours she would hold her baby. A baby she never in a million years thought she would have without some sort of miraculous intervention.

* * *

Goodness...it seemed so much longer while writing this out...next chapter: The Birth, yay!


	42. Birth

It's here! Love it? Hate it? Still reading for sh!ts and giggles? R&R either way!

* * *

Soft yet strong hands massaged her low back. Pillows were adjusted underneath her legs to help alleviate the pressure on her back. Water flowed through the straw of the hospital brand water bottle. A rushed breath of air flowed through her nostrils and she worked to steady her breathing. A cacophony of noises threatened to breech her concentration, machine blips and ticking signaling yet another contraction if Emma's excited cries were anything to go by. All Regina could do was nod in understanding as she gripped Emma's hand. Once the contraction was over she released Emma's hand and sank back into the pillows as Robin took her other hand and peppered kisses on the backside.

"That's it, that's it Regina, just breathe," Robin soothingly whispered in her ear.

"Mmmmm. Water, I need, um, some water," she croaked out, her throat hoarse from her guttural moans. Robin released her hand and reached over to the tray stand for the water bottle he had quickly snatched from her hands at the beginning of her last contraction. She greedily sipped through the straw, gulping as if her life depended on it.

"Alright dear, I don't think there's any more water in there," Robin commented as he removed the water bottle and straw from his wife.

"Mmm, could you get me some more? I think I'll need it." Robin looked pleadingly at Emma.

"Oh, um, yeah, I'll go get you some more. Hang tight!"

"That's not why I'm here, Emma!" Regina yelled as Emma squeezed through the door. Robin chuckled as he smoothed his hand over his wife's hands. They leaned forward, their foreheads together, breathing in steady breaths, drawing energy from each other.

"Hey," Robin breathed out.

"Hey," Regina responded, chuckling a little.

"How're you doing?"

"What a question to ask. I'm about to squeeze your fat head of a child through a very tiny opening. The anticipation is crippling. Urgh, and so are these contractions." Regina's grip on Robin's hand tightened and he struggled to stand up to look at the tocodynamometer.

"Another one?" Regina nodded as she sat up and curled over her belly. She let out a steady groan, her eyes squeezed tight. "Alright, alright, just listen to my voice, here we go, it'll be over soon."

"Shut up Robin, I'm trying to breathe."

"Mm hmm, I hear ya," Robin responded, taking his wife's temper in stride.

"Oh God! How long is this one lasting?!" Regina gasped as she took another inhale and started the long exhale.

"Wait, is that another one already? Are they supposed to be that close together? So soon?" Emma exclaimed, setting the refilled water bottle down and grasping for Regina's free hand. Regina violently shook her head.

"No," she whined out. "It's too soon for them to be right on top of each other. I haven't been here that long. Robin, go find someone, tell them to hurry, something's wrong."

"What? No baby, nothing's wrong. You're okay, it's okay, they're just contractions okay."

"Mmm, but please just get someone, just ask them to come check. Find a nurse, a doctor, I don't give a damn! Where's the epidural?!"

"Uh, Robin, you want me to – " Emma asked. Robin waived her off.

"Yeah, yeah, go see if you can find someone. Maybe we're a lot further than we think."

"We? Excuse me, are you the one sitting -. Fuck, fuck, fuckity fuck fuck. Robin, it hurts."

"I know love, I know."

"Where's the epidural? Why isn't it working?"

"Okay, alright love, here's the thing. I think they said if you waited too late to get the epidural it wouldn't really be effective, but you wanted to try, right?"

"Mmm hmmm," Regina nodded her head.

"I think that might be the case here."

"No, no no no no, that can't be. This hurts."

"I know love, I know."

"Alright, here we go! Look who I found!" Emma waltzed in with Regina's labor and delivery nurse in tow.

"Okay Regina, Emma here tells me your contractions are right on top of each other?"

"Yessss," she hissed out, gripping Robin's hand.

"Okay, well, I'm just gonna check and see how far dilated you are. We were at 5 centimeters last time, right?"

"Uh huh." Regina nodded.

"Okay, do you mind if your friend stays in here?" Regina looks at Robin, her eyes pleading. As much as she loves her friend, she and Robin wanted this experience for themselves, their first, and perhaps only child together given how much she wasn't enjoying this experience. Robin kissed his wife's hand before making his way around the bed while the nurse helped Regina get into position.

"Hey, uh, Emma, I know you're really excited for this."

"I am! This is so exciting!"

"Well, the thing is, as much as we would love, _love_ to have you here, we kinda just want this experience for ourselves, if you can understand?"

"Oh, uh, yeah, you're right. This, this is a moment for the two of you. I will just uh, go check on the boys? Relieve Mary – Margaret?"

"Don't you have a shift?"

"Well, when I called the station a little while ago David said he and Graham had everything covered. So, um, I'll just check back in with them, give them a progress report?"

"Okay, great, sounds good."

"Can I say good – bye?" Robin nodded his head.

"Yeah, sure, I'm sure Regina would be amenable to that. Let me go see how she's doing and let her know." Robin headed back to room just in time to see the nurse snap off her gloves. He approached the bed and placed a kiss on Regina's sweat covered brow.

"Hello love, how're we doing?"

"Well, it's appears she's progressed quite quickly. Maybe another centimeter or so. How does that sound?"

"That sounds, oh god!" Regina started in as she gripped and squeezed Robin's hand, panting through another contraction.

"I'll go page the doctor and we'll get this show on the road. Just breathe through the contractions, try not to push okay?"

Regina's eyes were squeezed shut tight.

"Hey, Regina? No pushing okay?" The nurse tried getting Regina's attention. Robin leaned forward to his wife's ear, whispering,

"Hey, did you hear the nurse? She said not to push just yet."

"I can't help what my body wants to do damnit! I suggest you hurry up with that page!" Regina spoke harshly.

"I'll page Dr. Campbell and she'll be here shortly. Mr. Locksley, would you like a gown?"

Robin looked up from his position next to Regina, a grin stretching ever so slightly across his lips. This was it. He slowly nodded his head, pecked a kiss to kiss his wife's forehead as he followed the motioning hand of the nurse out into the hallway. They stopped at the circulation desk so she could page Dr. Campbell and then they continued down to a supply closet.

"So, what size are you, hmm? Maybe a medium?" she asked as she held up a scrub top and some pants in front of Robin. "I think those will work. Here, you can change in this restroom here. I'm going to break down the bed so we can finally get the show on the road." Robin nodded his head in understanding and the two parted ways.

* * *

Robin rushed back down the hall, arriving at his wife's room, and even with the door shut, he could hear her pained moans. He lightly knocked on the door, announcing his arrival. There was a shout of "Come in!" so he pushed the door open, surprised to find a curtain drawn at the entrance. He worked his way through in time to see his wife seated in an upright position with her feet in stirrups grasping the nurse's hand. He quickly rushed to her side, peeling away her hand that was grasping the side of the bed rail as she slowly relaxed.

"Oh god," she cried, sinking back into the pillows that were piled high behind her. "Robin, what took you so long? I had to start pushing without you!" She whined, twisting to her side so she could see his face.

"Sorry my love, I changed clothes as fast as I could. I'm here now. Don't worry, I wouldn't miss this for anything." He soothed as he brought her hand to his lips. She leaned in heavily to his side and he peppered kisses onto her sweaty hair.

"That's it momma, just relax in between contractions as much as you can," coached Dr. Campbell from her position in between Regina's legs.

"Do you see anything yet? The head at least?" Regina asked, pulling herself forward in a vain attempt to see if anything was poking out between her legs. Dr. Campbell simply patted her legs.

"No, nothing yet, but we'll get Kristin here to bring over a mirror so you can see what I'm seeing. How does that sound?" Regina nodded her head and the nurse that was assisting walked around the bed and headed out the door to retrieve the mirror.

Regina let out a low moan as another contraction began, rolling her body into Robin's as she tried stifling her tears. Robin tucked her in as close as he could, rubbing circles on her back.

"There, there, that's it, just breathe, in," Robin breathed in, holding his breath, "and then out," Robin let out an exhale. Regina opened her eyes and tried her best to mirror his breaths, but nothing could stop the scream that ripped through her lips and the sudden upheaval of her body as she instinctively bore down.

"That's it Regina, one, two, three, you're doing great!"

A clanging noise could be heard coming from the entrance to their room and soon Kristin popped through the curtain with the mirror mounted high on wheels. She positioned it behind the doctor.

"Okay mom, dad, how does this look? Is this a good angle?"

"Kinda busy pushing right now," Regina gritted out through clamped down teeth.

"Right, sorry." Kristin waited patiently for the contraction to end. Dr. Campbell glanced behind her to see the mirror reflecting everything the parents could possibly want to see, and then some.

"Okay guys, look up at the mirror." Dr. Campbell called for Robin and Regina's attention. They stared hard. Dr. Campbell pressed her gloved hands in between Regina's legs. "Look, here's baby's head." There was an audible gasp and then more fervent tears making their way down Regina's cheeks.

"Oh baby, look Robin, its head!"

"I know, I see," he responded.

"Okay, maybe just a few more pushes. Getting the head and shoulders out will be the hardest part."

Regina nodded her head as she adjusted her grip on Robin's hand. A nervous giggle escaped her lips as Robin brought her hand to his lips and kissed it gently.

"That's it babe, you can do it. Bring our child into the world," he brightly smiled at her.

"Alright, another one is starting you ready?" asked Dr. Campbell. Regina nodded her head as she firmly planted her feet in the stirrups while Kristin directed Robin to mirror her motions of helping Regina pull her legs up close up and open to create more room to deliver the baby. Dr. Campbell raised her hand. "Hold on," she calmly stated. Regina tried to sit up on her elbows while Kristin and Robin relaxed their grips a little.

"What's wrong? Is something wrong? Is the baby okay? Is she alright?' Regina fired off questions without taking a breath in between.

"No, nothing's wrong, just doing a little suctioning here, the head's out. Can you see in the mirror?"

Robin and Regina gasped, looking into the mirror where the doctor delicately held their baby's head.

"Now, for real this time, just a few more pushes to deliver the shoulders and baby should be here!"

"Okay Regina, there's another contraction, you ready?"

Regina nodded her head and bore down for one final time. Suddenly, all the pressure she felt disappeared. Everything was in slow motion. The doctor dipped down before coming back up, splaying the crying baby across Regina's belly. Robin and Kristin let her hands go so they could help her hold the baby close. Kristin rubbed the baby down with towels and Dr. Campbell passed the scissors to Robin to cut the umbilical cord.

"Congratulations you two, it's a boy!"

Robin and Regina gazed at each other, unable to read each other's expressions.

"A boy? Did you hear that Regina?! It's another boy!"


End file.
